Some Secrets are best left Untold
by Fives CT 55555
Summary: Evil rises, threatening the worlds of wizards, muggles and halfbloods alike. Percy and co go to Hogwarts. Nico gets a boyfriend. The golden trio grow suspicious. A new foe waits in the shadows. Camp Halfblood is on the verge of destruction, and who are those damned Eternals? Some stories are best left untold, and this is one of them. Rated M cuz I'm paranoid. More info inside.
1. Chapter 1: A new Quest

**_Authors note:_**

_Thank you for giving this story a shot! I know PJO/HP crossovers have been overdone, but I'm definitely putting my own spin on this. I am currently editing this story, so I can tell you from the future that this is going to have some crazy stuff I haven't seen anywhere else in fanfictions yet. I hope you enjoy it. Any feedback, regardless how critical, is welcome. I am trying to get better so criticism does really help._

**_A huge thanks to 2017tnt, who is beta reading this story with a focus on language and Milton'sKnife who is helping me with the large scale plot. Without you guys this story wouldn't exist!_**

_**Time period:** This starts off around a month after the last Heroes of Olympus novel. Trials of Apollo are not considered canon for the sake of this story. _

_**Ships include:** Percabeth, Caleo, Nico&OC, _Jasper/Jiper, Frazel, _Romione, Hinny _

_**WARNING:**__ If you don't like boy&boy romance, grand scale (lots of characters and plot points) stories, main character deaths, teenage banter and mysteries, then this ain't your type. (see what i did there? XD - lol sorry for the Nico reference)._

_**Basically, t****his stories has both super light (funny&fluffy) and really dark sides, so if you don't like such a mix don't read.**_

_Disclaimer: Even in my wildest dreams I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. sighs sadly_

* * *

**Prologue:**

Night had fallen. Clouds covered the stars and the moon had not risen. Ronan couldn't see a thing. Yet he still moved at top speed; instinct and smell allowing his hooves to stay on the path.

The wind was ripping at his shirt, forcefully entering and chilling the satyr to the bones. Grover would want to hear of this, and the rest of Camp as well. His breath came in short bursts by now. Adrenaline was all that kept him pushing. Adrenaline… and fear. He had to make it in time. Before they arrived. He sped up yet again. He had seen how fast they were, he knew they had smelt him. And most importantly: every now and then, he heard the rustling of leaves behind him. Ronan didn't dare to look back. Although he'd never met a creature that could outrun him, something felt different here.

Camp Half-Blood was only a mile away; he was sure he had a fighting chance to reach it before they reached him. He could already see the arena and the big central farmhouse. The large bonfire over which the campers roasted marshmallows was still burning. Ronan could see some campers walking past the light. He opened his mouth to scream, to call for help, anything, but everything went quiet.

The rustling behind him had disappeared.

He couldn't hear his own panting or his voice as he tried to call for help. Suddenly, he felt cold. No, cold was the wrong word for it. It was a numbing freeze, as if winter had arrived unexpectedly and turned New York into an icy wasteland. The clouds had ripped apart; the moon was up. Ronan blinked, surprised. It wasn't supposed to be up yet- it was way too early. The moon was strong too, much stronger than Ronan had ever seen. The entire forest had been turned blue.

The satyr had stopped running; he knew it was too late. Shadows came out of the forest, approaching from all sides.

Ronan closed his eyes. If he had to die, he decided he wanted to die with honor. He had no weapons, having dropped his club to run faster. He had nowhere to go; the shadows had surrounded him. Ronan opened his eyes, his life having flashed before them. He didn't flinch when he could see their rotting, slimy faces under their black masks. He didn't flinch as they pulled their daggers. He didn't flinch as the blades were pushed into his body. Within the eyes of the shadow before him, Ronan made out a hint of recognition for his courage. That was the last he saw, for then he fell, dead.

His corpse vanished. Where he lay, a rose grew out of the forest floor. The shadows didn't see it; they were gone by the time Ronan's body had hit the ground.

**Chapter 1: **

"You can't be serious!" Percy exclaimed, pointing his finger at Chiron in disbelief.

"We've been through Tartarus, quite literally, and you're proposing another quest not even a month later?!"

Annabeth calmingly put her arm around her boyfriend. "I'm sure there is some sort of reason, let's just hear Chiron out." Percy usually didn't react like that. The war had left its scars on all of them. Some took longer to heal than others, the daughter of Athena knew that.

Chiron quickly took advantage of the silence that followed. "Yes, there is a reason. My brothers have informed me of them making contact with another tribe of centaurs, a tribe which is speaking of magic-using mortals."

"Wait, so you're saying wizards are real?" Leo asked, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

"That still doesn't explain why the hell we have to go on another quest." Percy glared at the centaur. From the five in the room, he was clearly the least impressed by the existence of magic.

"Let me explain. Fundamentally, there's no problem with the existence of such a group of mortals. The real problem is that numerous satyrs have been found dead or have disappeared recently, and from the lack of any physical wounds we are assuming that magic is at play. But not only that, multiple demigods have gone missing as well, and the oracle has not issued prophecies since the battle with Gaia. The mysteries are mounting."

Silence filled the room, even Percy was quiet for once. When nobody spoke, he said after a while, a thick layer of disbelief in his voice; "How can satyrs be disappearing? Grover spoke of nothing of the sort."

"Grover was instructed to keep the information a secret." Chiron replied, almost as if having expected that question.

It seemed like Chiron had convinced Percy to some extent, for the son of Poseidon didn't continue the argument.

"So what do you want us to do?" It was the first time Nico spoke during the meeting, his voice as cold as the stygian iron of his sword.

"We want you to infiltrate one of the wizards' main learning facilities. It is called Hogwarts, and you will attend the school as students. Stay undercover. Keep your ears sharp, any piece of information might be useful. We need to know of all possible threats, as well as possible opportunities. I believe you have been doing exactly such analyses during your military history classes, Annabeth?"

"Yes, but that was country-based,what we're dealing with seems to be an underground society, right? We might have to restructure our model."

"That doesn't matter. A model can be adapted with ease given enough time and information. What matters is whether you're all willing to go and collect that information or not." Chiron had folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm in." Leo stated excitedly.

"You can count on me." Nico agreed, neither his stance nor tone showing any emotion at all.

"Come on Percy, magic might be fun!" Annabeth exclaimed when she saw the expression on Percy's face.

"Sure, he said grudgingly.

"Then Percy and I are in too." With that, she answered Chiron's raised eyebrow. Nico groaned at the remark.

_~A Few Days Later~_

"When I signed up for this I did not expect having to study magic for two weeks straight!" an exasperated Leo called out when the spell he had been trying fired backwards for what felt like the hundredth time. He fell to the floor, unable to move.

Annabeth lifted her new wand and clearly said "Reparifors!" upon which Leo was able to stand up again.

"It is important to pronounce 'Petrificus Totalus' correctly" Percy told him, accidentally freezing Leo in place once more.

"Oops, sorry" he stated, laughing, copying his girlfriend to undo the spell.

"Not funny, Percy!" Leo shouted, running after the giggling Jackson, trying to tackle him.

"You do know you'll have to do the same thing every single week once we're in Hogwarts, right? We're just trying to get a basic understanding of wizardry before joining the other students. We can't afford to lose our cover." Annabeth called after Leo, who didn't listen, since he was too busy pummeling Percy. She sighed and returned to her "A History of Magic" textbook.

On the evening of the last day before their departure to the United Kingdom and a train station called King's Cross, Annabeth quizzed all of the other members of their "spy team", as they had jokingly started to call themselves. Of course, that ended in disaster. Percy stupefied everything from nymphs to Grover to an angry Clarisse, everything except the poor Will Solace, whom they had asked to be the target.

"Maybe I just don't want to harm someone so nice, " Percy explained, his eyes glittering with amusement when a despairing Annabeth asked what by Zeus' underpants was wrong with him. Nico, who had not taken part in any of their other self-guided lessons, lifted his eyes from the sword he had been sharpening.

"Don't you dare hit on him, Jackson. He's mine!"

Will Solace, supposedly straight, blushed. Annabeth, giving up on Percy, who had taken personal offense to that statement and was now in a good-humoured argument with Nico, moved over to check on Leo's progress. Except for his ability to create flames of all colors and a variety of properties, he was a hopeless case.

The Full Body-Bind Curse backfired once again, his "aguamenti" did not extinguish a small flame but instead soaked the still bickering Percy and Nico through with water. When Leo tried to disarm her, nothing spectacular happened except that a "Leo is cool" flag sprung out of his wand and fell on the grass between the two duelists.

She finally pulled Nico away from Percy, both still sulking in their wet clothes, and asked him to perform multiple simple charms. Some worked out fine, but during the fourth one, a basic levitating spell, he rose the bones of a hundred different animals, turning the field into a graveyard instead of lifting the small dagger that lay before him. Annabeth was done by then. With a moan she declared that all of them were fucked and stormed off to her cabin.

"I dislike agreeing with her, but she is right." Leo stated, suddenly sober. "We're screwed."

"Why can't we have extra time anyways? How are we supposed to learn the stuff they learnt in four years in only two weeks?" Percy exclaimed, starring after Annabeth.

"Every week, more satyrs are gone. You know that." Grover said, with a slightly accusing look in his eyes, his sudden appearance scaring them all to pieces.

Percy pulled his best friend into a hug. "I know. I shouldn't have said that, sorry."

Nico still stared at the floor, at the bones he had pulled from the ground. "Wait, you know all the things we were good at? They're things controlled by our godly parents. In my case, that was bones. In Leo's, it was fire."

"I might agree with you there, death boy, but it isn't like I was good at anything that related to the sea."

"We all knew you're a special case, Jackson, " Leo joked.

"I'm flattered you think of me in such a way. Nico, you have competition."

"Shut up!" Nico said, turning red.

Leo shook his head. "You know, I meant it more in a; you need to visit the mental asylum, way."

"How nice of you!" Percy chuckled. "But we'd better get some rest. Tomorrow we'll have to get up early."

"Always ruining the fun, aren't you," Nico muttered under his breath. However, he'd already started to move towards the cabins.

Percy raised his eyebrows. "I'd tell you to suck my dick, but you might take it too literally." he called after the black figure in jest.

The son of Hades stopped and turned around slowly. "Watch out, I might sneak into your cabin tonight, " he replied, his face dead serious, but his eyes gleaming humorously.

Nico waited for the other two to catch up. The three friends walked down the hills arm in arm, only going their separate ways once they reached the village.

* * *

_Thanks a lot for reading! If you have any ideas of how I could improve my writing, please consider writing it in a review!_

_Here's the list of how this fic is different from other similar crossovers, something I myself asked a lot simply because this story has been done so often._

_\- Voldemort isn't the main/only villain; there's much much worse than him_

_\- There are actual stakes in the demigod world; Camp Halfblood and Camp Jupiter are in direct danger and likely to be destroyed_

_\- There will be HP non-related plot points; such as a Roman civil war in Camp Jupiter_

_\- The HP story will be expanded past book seven and explore new concepts and ideas, as well as turn Harry's world upside down_

_\- Fantastic Beasts series will have a large impact on this story_

_Thank you so much for reading, see you around (hopefully in the next chapter of course XD)_

_Fives over and out_


	2. Chapter 2: Kings Cross

**Chapter 2: Kings Cross**

**_Authors Note:_**

_Review reply: __Thanks to for reviewing! I was hoping you'd like the joke, but also kinda scared it would be considered offensive, so thanks for letting me know. You can expect similar banter in one of the following chapters._

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, but shockingly, I own neither_

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They were woken at 3 in the morning. Most of the other campers were still in bed, but the Stoll brothers, who had stolen the magical items the four had used to practice with from a witch in New York as well as, with serious trouble, acquired four hogwarts robes, Calypso and many of Annabeth's siblings were up to say goodbye. They were supposed to leave Camp Halfblood at 2:30 sharp. The sun hadn't risen yet, the black of the sky only broken by a few twinkling stars.

Nico was the last one to arrive on the hill, his black suitcase covered in skulls, his eyes still squinting, sleepy. Leo and Calypso were muttering and softly kissing each other a few feet away from the rest. Annabeth was surrounded by her siblings, tactical advice being given so fast that all but children of Athena would have gotten dizzy. Percy was with his best friend, Grover as well as his hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary, who would shadow travel them to Great Britain. When Nico arrived, Percy greeted him cheerfully, and Chiron called all of the campers to order. With a groan, Nico sat onto the stump of a tree.

"Can we expect another long goodbye speech? Cause if we do, I'll kill you for having wasted good napping time!" He exclaimed.

"No, there is no time for speeches today. You'd better get going, the train will leave in less than half an hour." Chiron stated, matter of factually.

"IM me" Calypso called after Leo, when he pulled out of her hug and stept next to the gigantic hellhound.

"Don't worry, I will." A sad smile crossed his face.

Nico stood up from the tree trunk he'd been sitting on and stept next to Leo and Percy. "Ready for the ride?" He asked, his black eyes glittering.

"You seem like you enjoy seeing us being tortured."

"I don't know what you're talking about! shadow traveling is amazing" Nico replied, smirking.

Annabeth finally got rid of the army of children of Athena that had surrounded her, stating: "It isn't a question of what is amazing, rather a question of what is necessary."

Percy smiled, pulling her into a kiss. Nico mimicked vomiting behind them, making some of Annabeth's brothers laugh.

"It is time." Chiron stated, looking anxiously at his clock, and the four all laid a hand onto Mrs. O'Leary. With a deafening bark, Mrs O'Leary pulled them into the dark. The skin felt like it was being peeled off their faces, the pressure becoming intolerable. Percy's hand twisted, he had never experienced a shadow travel that took so long. When they were starting to panic, gasping for the non-existent air, the darkness turned lighter, the pressure vanishing.

All of them, with the exception of Nico, fell onto the cobble stones, hungrily taking in the dirty city air. A tired Mrs. O'Leary had already crumpled, snoring, blocking the entire alley. Nico starred along the dark, dirty houses. Two twisted silhouettes had started to slowly move in their direction.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Suddenly, his eyes lit up in terror. "Percy, get up!"

"But-"

"I said get up!"

With that, the two silhouettes started running towards them, their high pitched screeches filling the air. Annabeth, suddenly allerted, jumped to her feat, pulling Percy with her. Leo, still groggy, was helped up by Nico. "What are these things? Did they prepare a welcome party?" he asked. "Leo, NO!" Annabeth shouted.

"Shut up and run!" Nico screamed at them, and all of them started moving, only that they had forgotten that a sleeping Mrs. O'Leary had blocked the only other escape route. "Move!" Percy shouted, and slowly, still half asleep, with an accusing look in her eyes, she made space. They ran past her, into the busy streets of London.

"Kings Cross is over there!" Annabeth screamed, her finger pointing at a gigantic building across the street.

"We will never make it!" Percy exclaimed when he saw how fast the creatures were catching up.

"Run for your lives!"

Pedestrians were looking weirdly at them, multiple falling when being bumped into by the four demigods. The road was busy, cars shooting back and forth, but they made a dash for it anyways, dodging a truck and causing multiple car crashes. Angry screams and cars' honks filled the air, and in the chaos, it seemed for a moment that the greyish clad figures, whose rotten flesh was clearly visible, had lost them. But soon they were back on track.

Leo ripped open the door, holding it open so that everyone could get in, than slamming it shut and running as fast as he could. The beasts were only a few meters behind. They ran for platforms 9 and 10, searching for one named 9 ¾. Once between 9 and 10, they looked at each other, dumbfounded.

The platform they were looking for did not exist. "What the fuck are we supposed to do? These punks will catch us if we don't continue to move!" Nico asked the others, clearly frustrated. As if on cue, the two creatures turned the corner, and ran towards them. "Fuck!"

"We'll make our stand here!" Percy pulled his sword.

"Lets give these fuckers a fight to remember!"

"Leo! That's my line!"

"Guys, there's no chance we can beat them." Nico sounded dead serious, his eyes staring into a non-existent void. "The only option is escape."

The monsters came closer and closer, and now that the demigods saw them in their complete form, they understood what Nico ment. The skin was partially ripped to shreds, and under it, between pieces of rotten flesh, were plates of stygian iron, celestial bronze and imperial gold. Where the eyes should have been, only glowing green scars were visible. The hair was bloody and greasy with oil, the noses an undefined mass of puss.

Daggers stuck deep in their flesh, but did not seem to hinder their movement at all. One even had half of a spear penetrating its entire body. All of them were demigod weapons.

The creatures were only an arms length away from Leo, when they crashed into a invisible barrier and were violently brought to a halt. They rammed their fists against whatever was stopping them, screaming louder than ever before, frustrated to be so close and yet so far from their prey. A few mortals stood around, clearly confused by the mist.

"We have no time for this, the Hogwarts Express leaves in just a few minutes!" said a red haired, well-fed woman to the others of her group. A man whose skin was littered with scars nodded and pushed a boy with wild orange hair towards a solid barrier between the two platforms. When a purple haired woman walked into the brick wall, she disappeared, and so did the boy and the man, after her.

Percy lightly tapped on the shoulder of Nico, who was still staring at the monsters right in front of him. "I think I have found our way onto Platform 9 ¾."

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_So thanks again for the review! if you have any ideas of where I could improve my writing, let me know. __Chapter three coming out tomorrow._

_Fives signing out_


	3. Chapter 3: the Hogwarts Express

_Authors Note:_

_Damn, thanks for the reviews guys! Honestly, i didn't think I'd get any before at least three or so chapters where out. I'll answer to them individually at the bottom of the chapter._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I do not _(throws books at the door) _own _(hits the desk) _Percy Jackson or Harry Potter _(breaks down in the corner, depressed)

* * *

The platform was not a surprise. The people were. While most students were dressed in normal clothes, their parents were not. They wore cloaks and capes of all colors. Of course, Nico had to point at the black and red one that looked like a vampire's. The wearer, a tall, pale man with long, blonde hair sneered at them. The red train was magnificent, even though Percy ruined the sight somewhat by comparing it to a certain body part. They boarded the train, trying to act as normal as possible, which was doomed to fail, with Nico's skull luggage, Percy's surfer look and the lack of owls or parents. But latest when Leo's hair caught fire, multiple students had seen them and were curious enough to come over.

"Aguamenti" a dreamy girl said, pointing her wand at Leo's hair and dosing him in cold water. The death glare that followed made the other three laugh.

"Thanks for saving our friend." Annabeth said, trying to act as if Leo catching fire was something unusual.

"No problem" the blonde girl replied. "So who are you? I've never seen you before." she said, speaking so slowly that it gave her an almost ghost like voice.

Percy jumped in at that, using the cover story Chiron had given them. "We are exchange students from the American School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and will be here at Hogwarts for one year."

"Cool! I always wanted to meet Ilvermorny students!" A boy exclaimed. Annabeth shot Percy a confused look. Could that be the name of the American Wizarding School?

"I am sorry to disappoint, but were actually from a less known one, right next to New York." a still wet Leo stated. The boy did not look any less interested though.

"Oh, so you're not from Massachusetts? Did you watch the Quidditch World Cup last year? I am Colin by the way. So how are wizards in North America?"

"Normal I guess" Percy said, not sure how to answer that many questions at once.

"Well, most of us anyways." a smirking Leo said, lightly punching Nico's shoulder.

"Hey!"

A deafening whistle shocked the four. Colin laughed at their reaction.

"We'd better get on the train." Luna lifted her suitcase into the wagon, stepping in and offering to help the others. Annabeth handed her bag up, and soon enough they were all on the train, Luna saying a quick goodbye to get her own compartment.

"Why didn't she sit with us? She seems lonely in there." Nico remarked.

"Oh, so you do have a heart?"

He sighed, annoyed. "No you punk, I was just wondering."

Percy was the one to reply. "She seemed scared of you. Your aura of death is working Neeks!"

"Neeks? That's a great nickname!" Colin exclaimed, laughing so loudly other students started to stare at him.

"Great. Thanks, Percy." Nico's I-will-stab-you glare told him that this was far from over.

The compartments they passed were all full. Thankfully, Colin's friend and his brother had reserved seats for them. It turned however out that they lacked one seat, so Annabeth sat on her boyfriends lap instead. The two Creevey's bombarded them with questions, many of which they did not dare to answer. Annabeth did most of the talking. She was the quickest on her feet, and the least likely to contradict herself. Luckily for her, talk quickly went to Nico. The Creevey's adored his suitcase.

"Wow and that jacket! What music do you listen to?"

"You definitely don't want to know." Leo answered for him, smirking.

The Creevey's looked so sad about that though that Nico told them "Everything from Five Finger Death Punch to Hollywood Undead" upon which the yaw of the brothers' friend dropped and both of the Creevey's called out "Cool!"

"Do you know what house you will be sorted in?" Colin's friend, who they called Kai, asked.

"House? What do you mean?"

"Well, there are four houses. The Slytherins, aka assholes, the Hufflepuffs, basically the dorks, Ravenclaws, the nerds of Hogwarts, as well as the best house, Gryffindor!"

"No idea." The four replied in union following that not so enlightening statement.

"We hope Gryffindor! Then you'll be with us!"

Soon the three were pulled away by another friend who had wanted to show them a new pet. The demigods sighed in relief. The magicians were funny in their own way, but it was exhausting to talk to them over any prolonged period of time. "God that was hilarious!" Leo curled up in laughter. "Nico, these two adore you!"

Nico smiled at that. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Wait, he's smiling!" Annabeth started laughing too. "That's a first this year."

"Hey, don't be mean, he smiles at least once a month." Percy corrected, chuckling.

"Okay, but fun and games over, there is some serious stuff to discuss."

"The monsters?"

"Yep, the monsters."

"I hope Mrs. O'Leary is alright." Percy was clearly uncomfortable with having left his pet behind.

Nico rolled his eyes. "She's a bloody hell hound. She'll be fine."

"Neeks, the way you reacted back there, you knew these creatures. What's up with them?"

"I don't know them. I've seen them, once. They are… I don't know what they are, honestly. I just know that they exist, and that they act as some sort of guard. And i've seen them fight. Trust me, you don't want to."

"But, what are they guarding?"

"I don't know. But they were around a mountain in Massachusetts. That's where I met them first."

"Well they won't be able to follow the train, so good on us!" Leo, stretching out his legs across two seats, said.

"Wait, didn't Colin say Ilvermorny was in Massachusetts? Could these be guarding the wizarding world from people like us?" Annabeth theorised.

"But why would magical mortals need protection from demigods?" Percy asked her.

Annabeth was staring out the window, her thoughts drifting.

"I don't know, but once we're in Hogwarts, I'll definitely need to visit the library."

"In that case, I bet you're a Ravenclaw, Chase." Percy teased her, kissing her neck.

"Get a room", was all Nico said.

"Oh, might us making out in front of you turn you on? Are you bisexual after all Neeks?" Percy asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Stop hallucinating. Your threesome fanfic is pathetic."

"Leo on the other hand," Nico shouldered Leo who was sitting next to him" "might be interested."

"Bet I am." Leo said, smirking.

"Dream on Valdez!" Annabeth snickered. "You don't have a chance."

In that moment, the two Creevey's returned, having left Kai behind with the other friends, bickering over something. Colin, snorting in anger, turned to them, asking: "Do you think that Harry might be related to Dumbledore?"  
"Wait, what? You know that we are completely new to this school, right?" Percy frowned in disbelief of their forgetfulness.

"But you surely heard of Harry, right? The boy who lived? And Dumbledore is the greatest magician of this century. He defeated Grindelwald in Duel, stood up to Lord Voldemort! You must know him as well!"

Luckily, with that, Kai came into the room, telling them: "You'd better get dressed. We're arriving at Hogwarts soon." They changed into their school uniforms, the guys then leaving the compartment to let Annabeth get dressed.

"We'd better do some reading up on magical celebrities. Else we might lose our cover."

"We can do that in school. Let's see what this shithole looks like." Nico answered, glaring at a first grader that had been staring at him.

"Dam, tomorrow we probably have classes." Percy said regretfully.

"Schools always suck. But this one is magic, so it might be fun!" Leo tried to cheer up the others.

"Dream on!" They answered simultaneously.

* * *

_Review replies:_

_Well, I'm not planning on writing about rape or real world racism, so I guess I'm all safe. Seriously tho, thanks for letting me know. Hope you enjoyed the banter in this chapter! Sorry, but the next few probably won't have any, too much important stuff will be going on._

_Thanks for the compliment! Here's the update XD. With regards to the Harry x Percy pairing, actually great fan of the idea, but with this fanfic I'm trying to stick to full HP canon, so Harry stays seemingly straight. Doesn't mean that there won't be something hidden implicitly tho… And I can already spoil that there will be some bromance between the two, but thats still chapters ahead. _

_Both to the readers and the reviewers, thanks for sticking with me this far. If you have any idea of how and where I could improve, let me know! Longer chapters from now on, at least 2000 words each. Tomorrow chapter four, stay tuned for that, then mid week / weekly updates._


	4. Chapter 4: Hogwarts

**_Author's Note:_**

_I'll be doing some format changes, so here's what going to happen:_

_1\. longer chapters; from now on the chapters will be _+-_ 2000 words, so almost double as much as they were previously_

_2\. updates semi-weekly, see more about that at the bottom of chapter_

_3\. POV characters; from now on the four demigods will be split much more, and I'll do Harry's perspective as well, so that means different points of view_

_As always, answers to reviews are at the bottom of the chapter._

_**Disclaimer:** Until now, all my plans to steal ownership for Percy Jackson or Harry Potter have failed miserably _(bangs head on the wall). _Both of these amazing pieces of art still belong to Rick and Rowling respectively._

* * *

**Annabeth:**

When they stept out of the train, it was pitch black. Annabeth squinted, trying to make out where they where, but she saw nothing for a long while, until, finally, her eyes had adapted to the darkness. They were in a forest, the railroad having created a long path through the trees. The sky was covered with clouds and the moon was not to be seen. Behind her was Nico, in front of her Percy. They were walking towards black carriages, pulled by winged, skeletal horses.

"Nico, you'll love these!" She whispered over her shoulder. She heard a quiet "wow" when the monsters came into his sight as well. They went into one of the carriages, together with the Creevey brothers, and Percy took her hand. The others were unusually quiet and the coach soon moved down the path.

"And here, Ladies and Gentlemen, you will have your first look at Hogwarts!" Colin exclaimed, having stood up and spread his arms in a welcoming fashion. Kai and Dennis died of laughter, but the demigods did not say a word. They were all staring at the gigantic illuminated castle which had appeared before them. Annabeth's heart raced. The gothic pillars and ancient towers were magnificent.

The rest of the ride seemed to go twice as fast, and the castle grew and grew the closer they got. They stept out of the vehicle once they had reached the main gate, and together with the other students went through the gigantic iron and wooden doors.

Inside, Collin turned to them. "Normally, you put your luggage somewhere near your common room, but as you don't know what house you will be put in-"

"Jackson! Chase!" A voice called over the crowd, sharp and female, a voice used to giving orders. A tall witch strode towards them. The glasses she wore were squared and something Annabeth could not put her finger on made her seem cat-like. She stopped in front of them and turned to Nico and Leo. "And you must be di Angelo and Valdez." She said, her face as harsh as before.

"I am Professor McGonagall. Welcome to Hogwarts. We are happy to expand the connections between the American and English wizarding communities through this visit. Your Headmaster has already contacted me. Chiron said you would be staying for a year, is that correct?"

Annabeth had a bad feeling about that. Could they really stay undercover for an entire year?

But she nodded anyways, answering for the group: "Yes, Ma'am."

"I am sure that you call your teachers that in America, but at Hogwarts, you will call us exclusively "Professor", am I understood?"

The guts in Annabeth's stomach clenched. They needed to be careful. Anything seemed to be able to cause an explosion in this school. "Yes Professor McGonagall"

"Good. As you will be staying for a whole year, you will be sorted into one of the houses. Leave your luggage at the staircase, the house elves will take care of them, and follow me."

The moment the professor had turned her back to them, the other three threw glances at Annabeth and each other. This was going to get interesting.

**Leo:**

The witch that had introduced them to Hogwarts was a bitch. That much he knew. He had never liked authority figures, but she had crossed the line entirely. They followed her through multiple corridors, down a staircase and through another corridor, into a small room, in which the first graders seemed to be cramped.

"When I get the first graders, you stay here. I will light that candle over there through magic once we are done with their sorting and I want you to come out too."

Without any other word, she turned and marched back, the way they had come. Minutes passed by, and all of them started to fidget by the time the Professor had returned and led the first years out into what seemed to be a great hall. Leo had almost finished building a functional but tiny attack helicopter, and Nico was so frustrated that he swore that should the candle not be lighted in the next five minutes he would spawn skeletons for sword practice.

"How do you think we'll be chosen?" Leo asked the others, trying to distract them. However, no one answered him, each too scared of the possibilities. Leo tried not to imagine having to fight a gigantic dragon, or having to turn a hat into a chair or something like that, but he was ripped out of his thoughts when the room was illuminated by the yellow-red dancing light of a candle. They slowly moved towards the door, not sure what to expect. Percy pushed the gate open. In front of them, four long tables took up most of the space of the hall. Each table seemed to be dedicated to a house. In the back, another table stood perpendicularly to the four, the older faces made it clear to Leo that it was the teachers table, the one he would be hard pressed not to blow up or burn. Again, Percy took the lead, marching stoically towards Professor McGonagall. The only thing Leo could think of was the likelihood of him bursting into flames while walking through the hall. The probability he had just calculated was high. Very high.

**Harry: **

"And now to our American exchange students!" Dumbledore announced.

The entire school turned their heads towards the entrance, expecting something grandiose to happen, but the four Americans walking into the hall were a disappointment. Or at least they were so in comparison to the Beauxbatons and Durmstrangs the students had meet last year. The four wore the same uniform as hogwarts students, and while quite over average attractive seemed extremely nervous when the others stared at them. Whispers filled the hall.

"No different uniforms…"

"Seriously? They only send four students?"

"Damn, the girl is hot!"

"What's up with that pen…"

At that last comment, Harries eyes wandered over the four, trying to make out what the Seamus had been talking about. And yes! There, in the pocket of the first one, was clearly the outline of a ballpoint pen. Why would an american wizard have a muggle writing utensil? He now took a closer look at the teen. He seemed slightly older than Harry, with black hair, tanned skin and sea green eyes. The necklace he wore was the same as that of the other three, the only sign that they belonged to the same group.

"Man, that guy in the back is giving me creeps." Ron ripped Harry out of his thoughts.

Harry turned his attention to the last in line, an italian, by the looks of it, with shaggy black hair, dark eyes and a slight tan, which Harry supposed was for italians unnaturally white, but in comparison to the others at school did not seem quite different.

"Why? He seems alright."

"I don't know, but something feels off with him." Ron replied.

Nearly Headless Nick seemed to agree. He shuddered and sank under the table, as if trying to hide.

"They seem perfectly normal to me." Hermione snapped, taken aback by the cold welcome the Americans were receiving. Turning his attention back to the four, Harry realised that the exchange students had already reached the sorting hat.

"Chase, Annabeth" was called up first. She confidently walked up to the chair and put the hat upon her head. It took a while, before it seemed to have reached a conclusion. "Gryffindor!" A loud cheer went up.

"Di Angelo, Nico." was up next. The Italian had just put the hat on when the piece of cloth gave off a screech, of excitement or anxiousness no one could tell. Di Angelo looked up, confused.

"I would not dare…." the hat said, but with renewed determination the boy closed his eyes, and the hat finally exclaimed: "Gryffindor!" a hushed silence filled the hall. The hats scream had surprised them far more than it had surprised the Di Angelo kid, who was now moving towards a free place next to the other american girl and close by to were Harry sat.

"Jackson, Percy", the guy with the pen, did not even touch the hat before it shouted, "Gryffindor!".

"How come they're all sorted into our house?" Ron asked snorting.

"It is weird…" Hermione gazed at the ceiling, which by then was a black sky.

Jackson sat himself next to the blonde girl of the group, and the last of the four, a latino around Harry's age, slightly trembling, took his place on the chair, lowering the hat onto his head. This time the hat stayed quiet. One minute passed, then another, and slowly the silence was broken by low whispers of the students. Harry had never seen someone taking so long. Professor McGonagall threw a quick look to Professor Dumbledore, who pleasantly stared at the hat, unfazed by what was going on.

Finally, the hat opened its mouth, only to exclaim "Gryffindor!". Chatter filled the hall, rumbling like thunder. 4 Gryffindors in a row? And all exchange students? Something was amiss.

"I can't believe it!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at Valdez accusingly, who was now making his way down to his friends.

Ron shook his head. "Something is terribly wrong."

**Percy:**

"Do you think it is normal that we're all in the same house?" Annabeth asked him quietly once they were all seated.

"Well it might just have to do with our blood." he replied, missing the moment Dumbledore rose and started what seemed to be a speech.

However, many of the others were now staring at Percy instead of the professor, as if he had said something quite rude.

"Oh come on! I'm starving." Leo complained, but as if the Headmaster had heard the demigod, he quickly came to an end, with "Tuck in!" and food appeared on the empty plates before them.

"Hey, you" Percy addressed the guy across from him "what did I do wrong?"

"W-w-well, your comments about pure bloods might have thrown of some people." he replied.

"Wait, I'm not talking about blood purity, I was talking about american blood, nationality, you know." Trying to find a convincing lie, nationality was all that had occurred to him on the spot.

"We're all half bloods anyways." he added, and almost slammed his head on the table after he had said it. How could he be that stupid?!

"Percy!" Annabeth whispered, he wasn't the only one who thought he had said to much. He was jeopardizing their mission! But the others did not find the comment weird at all, instead the cold atmosphere was broken and the others focused on the plates instead of him.

"I'm Neville by the way." The stuttering boy said.

"Hi Neville, I'm Percy, and that's Annabeth, my girlfriend." Nico made a puking sound at that remark, upon which the guy next to Neville laughed.

"The ass over there" Percy continued, pointing at Nico with his thumb, "is Nico, and the guy next to Annabeth is Leo."

Still catching his breath from laughing, the guy next to Neville said: "I'm Seamus."

"I'm Angelina" a girl across from Annabeth added.  
Next to Angelina sat Katie Bell and a girl called Fay, the three were discussing something excitedly.

"Do you think Horton has any chance?"

"No way, the next quaffle will go right through his arms!"

"Well, we'll keep our fingers crossed."

At that, all of them laughed, as if that was some sort of a reference. Percy's interest had been woken. "What are you three talking about?" He asked, leaning across the table to grab some chicken.

"The Chudley Cannons of course." Fay replied.

"Forgive my ignorance, but who or what are those?"

"A quidditch team. You surely known quidditch, right?"

"Yeah, but never played." Percy answered, hoping his lie would not be exposed by his ignorance.

"Well, I'm the new captain of the gryffindor team, and we have tryouts this friday, you want to give it a shot?" Angelina interrupted their conversation.

"Sure, I guess." Percy replied uncertainly, but not ready to back down just yet.

"What the hell are you getting yourself into?" Leo hissed, but Percy chose to ignore that remark and rather focus on the food on his plate. It tasted delicious.

* * *

_Thanks for sticking with me this far! This chapter was less intense, but trust me, the next one will make up for that. Yes, I'm building up some Quidditch experiences for Percy, but that will still take some chapters to fully get to._

**_Review replies:_**

_Thanks for your review Tess! Don't worry, the question didn't sound rude, it is a little overwhelming though. I am terrible at writing romance, so you might want to search another author for that, sorry. honestly, I am not even in most of those fandoms listed. I could see some extremely good Harry/PeterParker and Harry/Eragon stories, but I'm definitely not writing any in the near future. There'll be some Nico/OC and some Nico/Will in this fic tho, if that's enough slash for you._

_Next chapter wednesday!_

_Fives signing out_


	5. Chapter 5: Strange Happenings

_**Authors Note:**_

_So, slightly longer break, but as promised, here's the next chapter._

_**Disclaimer:**__ I think by now you know the drill, neither Percy Jackson nor Harry Potter belongs to me._

* * *

**Percy:**

The dessert had just vanished from the plates, when Dumbledore stood up once again. This time, they weren't so lucky. The speech dragged on, covering everything from reminders to stay out of the "forbidden forest" -couldn't the wizards be more creative? to the introduction of a certain Umbridge, who herself then proceeded to address the entire school.

By that point however, Percy's brain shut down, and the speech seemed to be so boring that most of the Gryffindors around them quickly had the same, distinct look in their eyes, the look of complete boredom. By the end of it, Annabeth was the only one still listening. While her face showed pure attention, Percy, with the eyes of someone that had known her for more than six years, saw the slight shift in her stature.

She sat straighter than usual, her shoulders tense, her hands in her lap. He was certain that she had caught onto something. Had the Professor just said something that was of interest for Chiron and Percy had missed it? Or was something else going on, something that had scared his girlfriend out of her mind? Percy was ripped out of his thoughts by the slow clapping of hundreds of hands when Umbridge stopped talking. He joined in, but at that moment, Annabeth spun violently towards him.

Her eyes wide with terror, she whispered: "We need to talk! All of us!"

As quickly as she had faced him, she returned to staring at the teachers' table, where Dumbledore was now giving his closing remarks. Shortly afterwards, the students started to stand up, and so did Percy and the three other demigods.

However, they were called back by exactly the same sharp voice that had greeted them in the entrance hall hours earlier. Professor McGonagall was striding towards them. "You four! A word with you please!"

And with that, she ushered them into the other direction, through a small corridor at the teachers side of the great hall and into an empty classroom. Had they done something wrong? Percy wondered whether it was McGonagall that Annabeth had reacted to, or if something more sinister was at work. However, when she started speaking, he sighed with relief. It was no scolding or unmasking of their demigod presence. Instead it seemed to be a discussion on house rules. Annabeth elbowed him, ripping him out of his thoughts.

"It is a rare case that four students in a row are made Gryffindors. I am the head of your house and thus must beg you to do your best. For good actions, points are given to Gryffindor. If you break the rules, points will be subtracted. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the house cup, a great honor. I trust you will bring my house fortune in the months to come. Secondly, I have been informed that the school you have been going to has a different year system than ours and that you might have to change the year group you are in. We will just see how it goes. For now, you will stick to those of your age. Jackson, Chase, sixth grade. Valdez, fifth grade. Di Angelo, fourth grade. Your common room is in the Gryffindor Tower. Go through this corridor, up the stairs as far as they will go, through another corridor, turn right and you will see a painting of a fat lady. The password is Mimbulus Mimbletonia. Hurry, it is late." With that, she abruptly left them, marching back towards the great hall.

When he was certain McGonagall was out of earshot, Percy grabbed Annabeth by the arm.

"What did you see?"

Annabeth threw around anxious looks, checking if anyone other than them was in the hallways.

Sweat was tickling down her forehead.

"Did you see the ghost, with blood all over his clothes?"

Percy pulled back. That wasn't like her. She had been through Tartarus. She wasn't afraid of ghosts.

"So you saw the dagger too?" Nico interrupted them. His face was cold, as most of the times. His eyes pierced Annabeth. The only thing that gave away that something was off was his grabbing of the ring on his middle finger.

"Don't! You'll get much more than detention if you're running around school with a sword!"

Leo exclaimed, grabbing Nico's arm, trying to forcibly remove the hand from the ring.

"Detention won't matter if we're dead." Nico rammed his elbow into Leo's ribs, pushing him off and turning the ring, so that a black, meter long sword appeared within his hand.

"What the fuck is going on with you two?!" Percy's voice had grown loud almost without noticing. Something was wrong, and he wanted to know what it was.

"The ghost. On his hip was a dagger. A dagger made from celestial bronze. And the way it was bent and chipped, it wasn't his weapon. It was a trophy he took, from a fight."

Nico was slowly circling, making sure he kept as many of the corridors around them in view.

"Nico, we can talk on our way to the common room, we won't be attacked around so many people." Leo had stood up, massaging his bruised rib-cage. "You should seriously learn how to pull your punches."

Alright, let's get moving, but it might just be a means to seperate us. We're all in different classes, that probably means different bed rooms." Annabeth replied.

"They won't fight us if there is a danger of any of the kids getting hurt. At least I think so." Percy laid an arm around his girlfriend.

While walking, Leo broached the subject again. "So you're saying that when the ghost was still alive, he killed a demigod?"

"Yes, that's exactly what we're saying." Annabeth stared at Leo.

"Look, but why is that such a big deal? That ghost is probably dead for centuries." Leo frowned.

"You just don't get it, do you?! Two monsters seemingly hunting demigods whenever they come near a wizard building. A wizard ghost that carries a demigod weapon as a trophy. Satyrs disappearing or dying, likely due to magic. The oracle, which uses a form of magic I guess, completely out of sync. Us four all being sorted into the same house. These are weird happenings. Something is seriously wrong!" Annabeth's eyes were shooting lightning.

They had reached the end of the stairs. "Look, that isn't all. Umbridge's speech, Chiron will want to know about it. It seems like there is tension between the schools staff and the magical government. Why else should she have the authority to enforce the changes she discussed in her speech, if she isn't backed by a more powerful organization?"

"And you're saying that organization is the magic government?! Seriously?" Nico rolled his eyes.

"Well, think about it. The headmaster is, according to a history of magic, the most powerful wizard of this age. Who could challenge him, other than the government?"

Percy was sure that Annabeth had caught something with that. "You're right. There is no other reasonable explanation."

"Could this school-government conflict escalate? We need to make sure that we are not dragged into a wizarding war." Nico had stopped circling them, sword in hand, and instead had turned towards the others.

"We have to be triple careful from now on." Percy agreed there too. Nico was right after all.

"Oh, and by the way, you guys seriously need to catch up on your modern magic history. The fact that you didn't know who Harry was could have blown our cover." Annabeth returned to business.

"Alright, alright, but tomorrow, okay? It's late, and we'd better get some sleep if we want to survive morning classes."

And with that, they had reached the painting of the fat lady.

"Mimbulus Mimbletonia" Annabeth said, and she swung open like a door, giving the four an impressive look at what would be their home for a year.

**Leo:**

The next morning, Leo woke up unusually refreshed. He had had no nightmares, something that occured no more than once a year. He was the only one of the demigods that had been put into the same grade, and thus the same bedroom, as Harry, the unknown celebrity. Cautiously, he turned to the side, as not to make any unnecessary noise, to check whether the others were still sleeping. They where, even though the horizon that could be seen through the window was already glimmering crimson, announcing the sunrise. Slowly however, under his attentive eyes, they woke up one by one, as if a spell had ripped them out of their sleep. As if- No, not as if, it was most definitely a spell. Clever, the school needed no alarms and the students could not 'accidentally' sleep in.

He stood up, got dressed, and left the bedroom for the common room before any of the others had rubbed the sleep out of their eyes. Even though it was late summer and the temperatures unusually high, the walls of the castle kept the pleasant cool of the winter, and Leo, shivering when thinking of their dramatic meeting with Khione a few months past, lit his hand, the pleasant heat of the fire warming his body.

"Leo, what the fuck are you doing?!" A voice whispered exasperated.

"Sorry Percy!" Leo said, grinning. He turned off his lit hand, and looked back to see how the son of Poseidon was coming down the stairs behind him. The two met up with Annabeth and Nico in the common room, god, sometimes that guy still gave Leo the creeps, and walked to the great hall.

They seemed to have arrived early, as except for a few teachers and three students, the hall was empty. The breakfast tasted great and even though Leo still felt full from the previous dinner, he was able to gulp down two servings of ham and eggs before others of his class showed up.

"Okay guys, we need a plan of action. We're here to gather information, not enjoy ourselves." Annabeth ripped Leo's focus from his food. "Here, I've compiled a list of explanations on the most important 'celebrities' you need to know." She continued, pushing three sheets of paper over the table, one for each of them. Leo took one, scanning through the content.

_Harry Potter;_

_As a baby; defeated Voldemort through a backfiring curse, furthermore famous for winning the triwizard tournament and killing a basilisk_

_Lord Voldemort;_

_Darkest wizard of modern history, killed by Harry Potter_

_Albus Dumbledore;_

_Headmaster at Hogwarts, biggest enemy of Lord Voldemort, defeated Grindelwald in combat_

_Grindelwald;_

_Dark wizard who tried to expose the magical world to the muggles_

_Fudge;_

_Minister of magic, probably enemy of Dumbledore, reasons unclear_

"We're supposed to learn this by heart?" Leo complained, his head aching at the thought.

"Yes, and add any information you can find, that's why I left space between the names." Annabeth's look deterred him from any other complaints. Man, that girl could be mean. They would have a full day of school, and now they had gotten homework before the first class had even started.

"Some more specific targets for us," Annabeth continued, by then Leo was deeply unsatisfied with Chiron's decision to make her head of the mission, "Leo, get a hang of Harry and his friends. Squeeze as much information out of them as possible. Befriend them too, if possible. Nico, if you could go after the ghost, you are the one with most power over such creatures after all. Question him on how he got the dagger. Furthermore Creevey seems to be in your class and that guy is talkative, I trust you'll get some usefull explanations from him too."

With that she paused, looked over her shoulder and then continued; "Percy and I will explore how much the wizards know about us, and- the greek gods."

Leo gulped at that. She had given herself the most dangerous task. If Percy and Annabeth weren't careful, they might just be exposing the demigods to the Wizards. Well that was if the magic freaks didn't know about them already anyways. "We'll meet up tonight in the common room, discuss what we found and IM Chiron if possible." Annabeth finally finished.

"Sounds like a plan." Nico said looking up from the ring he had been playing with.

"Agreed." Percy said, much more serious than usual.

"Sure" was all that Leo got out, his guts clenched. this would be a long and dangerous day.

* * *

_Alright, so the plot is picking up again after a somewhat boring filler chapter last monday. Next chapter will be out on saturday and is called Ghost Stories, you probably already guessed what that's going to be about ;)_

_If you have any particular tipps of how I could improve my writing, let me know through the review function._

_Fives signing out_


	6. Chapter 6: Ghost Stories

_Authors Note:_

_Here's the next chapter, yay! A huge thanks to those that have read, but especially those that followed, reviewed and favorited this fanfic. You're what keeps me writing!_

_Disclaimer: Both you and I know that I do not own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson._

* * *

**Annabeth:**

The timetable given to her by Professor McGonagall was quite sobering. Many of the subjects listed they hadn't even touched on during their two weeks of training. The first, Defense against the Dark Arts, worried her the most, for if Umbridge truly worked for the ministry, she was the last one that the demigods wanted to make suspicious. Together with the timetable, McGonagall had given them the school books they'd need during the year.

She and Percy had ran up to the Gryffindor tower to deposit most of their books before the first lesson, and arrived just in time to get seated in Umbridge's room before she gave a "good morning, class". A few muttered good mornings was however all she got in return. She didn't seem happy. In fact, she looked more like a frog, ready to fight, if that was possible.

"If I wish you a good morning, I would kindly request you to answer with "good morning Professor Umbridge". Let's try again, Shall well?"

This time, the class answered with vigour, though boredom still crept through their voices.

"Wands away." She said, upon which most students moaned. Annabeth and Percy exchanged a look. The conflict in the air was almost smellable. By then, the course goals were written on the board, and they were asked to copy them.

Annabeth and her boyfriend used their normal ballpoint pens for that, which earned them confused looks from the other students. Katie Bell snickered and pointed at her quill. Annabeth quickly looked around and found all of the Hogwarts students to be using quills like the one Katie had shown them. Fuck, she thought, that much for our cover. But Umbridge did not seem to realise, and latest when they were given the task to read the first chapter of the school book, "Basics for Beginners", Annabeth was sure that at least in this class, their lack of capability with magic would not be the reason for their unmasking.

The bell rang what seemed like hours later, and all of the Gryffindors packed their bags and started to move towards the next lesson. Annabeth did the same, but much more hastily than the others, so that she was able to reach Katie before she had even stood up.

"Are quills a requirement for the school?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Nah, more like tradition. If in America you use those writing utensils that's fine too." She answered willingly.

"Ok, then, thanks!" Annabeth replied, a great weight just having been lifted from her shoulders.

"Do you need help finding the next classroom? I could not help but overhear than you also have charms next."

Annabeth, surprised by her friendliness, asked "Don't we all have charms?"

"No, that depends on what subject we chose. Many of the others have care for magical creatures right now."

"Alright, then me and my boyfriend would be very happy if you could help."

A look of understanding crossed Katie's face, but all she said was "follow me."

By that point, Percy had backed his stuff too, and stood next to Annabeth, so that they walked, hand in hand, after Katie Bell towards their next lesson.

Charms was a catastrophe. While Annabeth herself was proud that she, even though she had had only limited training, was about as good as most of the others in the class, Percy was failing miserably. A simple levitation charm, wingardium leviosa, supposedly revision of first grade material, worked out fine with him. But all of the more advanced magic, such as the summoning charm, in which case the quill he was supposed to summon flew with such force into the door that it pierced the wood, or the exploding charm, were instead of destroying a piece of crumpled paper he blew up their entire table, was a disaster.

Thus, only three quarters through the lesson, Flitwick called out Percy's last name and both disappeared in his office for near to ten minutes. A relieved Percy and a tired looking Flitwick returned just as the bell rang, announcing the end of class. Annabeth rushed over to her son of Poseidon, asking.

"What did he say? Are you going to get punished? Most likely, but if he does, I swear I'll ram my dagger up his-"

"Annabeth, shut up." He said grinning, pulling her into a hug. "No punishment. He did say tho that if I was this far behind in more subjects, I'd have to join fifth grade. He also told me that it wasn't that I did it completely wrong, I simply channel way to much energy into the spell, making it quite, well, explosive."

Annabeth laughed at that. After a hasty lunch, they practiced the charms in one of the corridors, trying to get Percy up to speed. He did make slight improvements, but what they really needed for Percy's inability not to destroy their cover story was a miracle.

"You two lovebirds done? Cause I also have history of magic next, so I can take you there."

"Thanks" Annabeth muttered, surprised, she hadn't heard or seen Katie Bell coming towards them.

"Great explosive charm Jackson. If you're chosen during the tryouts, would you mind using it on some slytherin brooms?" Katie asked, giggling.

"I'd probably get kicked from school for that, so sorry, but no." Percy replied, smirking.

Annabeth still wasn't sure if Percy trying out for the Gryffindor team was the best idea, but she decided it was the wrong time to debate that question. While walking, Annabeth instead chose to broach the subject she had tasked herself to research. "I've been working on an essay on the connection between greek mythology and the magical world, and I thought you could give me some insight on what british wizards think."

Katie turned around, slightly baffled by the question. "Well, I don't think there are big differences between the american and british understanding of that, but we covered that topic just last year, so I can tell you what I remember. Most of the greek heroes, Heracles, Perseus and so on, seemed to use an unchanneled form of raw magic. Wands that channel our power where invented much later, so the greek "demigods" had less control over their powers. The creatures are magical, many of them still existing today. However, the majority of them have turned into comparatively peaceful creatures, only attacking humans from time to time, whereas during greek times, they were much more violent. Some are still violent today of course." She paused, looking at Annabeth's interested face. "Sorry, but that's all I know."

"But what about the gods?" Percy interrupted. "Do you think they existed? Where they magical? Or just a way to explain magic to muggles."

Katie, slightly offended, turned to him. "Do you really think I believe in twelve deities in the sky? No, of course the gods were a way of explaining magic to unsuspecting muggles, dumbass." She smiled at the last part, ensuring that they understood it as a joke. For the rest of the way, they stayed quiet.

History was boring. The Ghost that taught them -were ghosts even allowed to be teachers?- had a voice that made concentration almost impossible. Even Annabeth had to use all her willpower not to drift into sleep. The topic they covered, the first wizarding war and Voldemort's downfall, could have been interesting, and was definitely useful, so Annabeth scribbled all over a piece of paper she had titled "Lord Voldemort" and intended to add to the growing number of notes she had made on the wizarding world.

By the time the lesson was done, she had not filled one paper, but 4 pages worth of valuable information. She almost got goosebumps thinking through what she had learnt about his brutal reign. He wasn't Gaia, but neither did he seem like something much better. They were extremely lucky that Harry had killed him, regardless of the mystery that surrounded that feat. With the bell ringing, the others left the room as quickly as possible, Annabeth however stayed, packing up slowly, and caught up with Professor Binns just before he floated through the wall.

"Professor!"

"Yes, Ms. Granger?" He turned around, quite surprised.

"Sorry, but my name is Chase."

"Excuse me." He said in his usual monotone voice.

"I wanted to ask about the connection between greek mythology and magic."

"Mhm, well, I can offer a quick overview on the subject I suppose. You must understand, it is quite a debated topic within the historian community."

"Yes, that's exactly why I wanted to ask for your opinion." Annabeth said, thinking some flattering wouldn't be bad.

"There are three general groups most historians can be divided into. Now, many of them lie between the groups as well, but these will serve to give you a good look at the spectrum. On one hand, there are those that believe that the greek demigods were magical and in fact simply used unchannelled magic to accomplish their feats. They also believe that the gods were 'invented' to explain magic to the general greek population. While fairly small, this group is composed of serious scientists and credible historians. The second group, the smallest of the three, believe that in fact the greek deities existed in one form or another a long time ago, but faded into nothing. They believe that magic was created by these 'gods' and that demigods were actually not wizards at all, but instead half god and half muggle. This group is filled with, I am sorry to say, pseudo-scientists and hobby historians. Their conspiracy theories are disregarded by any credible teacher or student of history. The last and biggest group, and to that group I belong Ms. Chase, believes that almost all of greek mythology is complete rubbish and has no connection to reality at all."

With that he turned back to the wall and had almost left, when Annabeth found her voice again and asked, quickly; "You said 'almost all' sir. What is the case with the rest?"

Mr. Binns sighed. "I deliberately left that part out, as not to give your imagination even more building blocks, but if you want to know the rest, here; there are a few phenomena within greek mythology which could be explained through magic being at play. There are also some instances in more modern magic history and legend, were some wizards, like the Peverell brothers, had or gained god like abilities. However, that is not enough evidence to suggest that greek mythology has a historical foundation or that there is more than a cursory connection between reality and ancient greek fiction. If you would excuse me…"

And with that, he turned to leave.

Annabeth called "thank you!" after him, grabbed her bag and ran out of the room, were Percy was waiting for her. "I've found something." She said, panting from both the sprint and excitement.

A troubled look crossing Percy's face at that. "What is it?"

"Mr. Binns said he was a supporter of the third theory, but the theory he taught last year, according to Katie at least, was the first."

"So you're saying he lied to you?" Percy starred at the wall through which Professor Binns had disappeared.

"I don't know, but Chiron and the others will want to hear about this."

"I bet they will." Percy agreed.

**Nico:**

His first lesson, transfiguration, proved uneventful. Professor McGonagall, the woman that was the head of his house, seemed like a capable teacher and his individual practice _-yes, he had stayed away from the others to better concentrate,_ _and yes, maybe he couldn't concentrate around the others because of Jackson,_ over the last two weeks before Hogwarts had sunken in enough so that he did not make a fool of himself. He was able to perform the charms at least as well as the other students.

As Annabeth had predicted, Creevey had taken a liking to Nico and invited him to sit with him and his friends, but until now, no real opportunity for questioning had arisen. _Sorry, Annabeth, I might return with less information than you had hoped for _he thought, when the bell announced the end of charms. The others of Creevey's gang pulled him along to Defense against the Dark Arts, and in a corridor, when the name Harry fell in their conversation, he saw his chance.

"Hey, look, in America, we really don't know much about Harry. Except that he defeated Voldemort." He added hastily at their almost aggressive stares. "So I wanted to ask if you guys could tell me his whole story."

There was a long silence at that. Some had a look of terror in their eyes. Then Colin laughed.

"Ha! You haven't been talking all day, but the first full sentence we get out of you is a question about Potter. Now that's what I call commitment to a cause!" The others started laughing to, patting Nico on the back.

"Welcome to the fandom!" and

"Great you joined"

were just a few of the comments that followed.

_What the hell? Is this some kind of Harry Potter fan club? _Nico thought but was shaken out of it by the long and winding explanation Colin gave about Harry. First came a list of heroic shit Harry did. From saving the Philosopher's Stone _-whatever that was, _to his defeating of a basilisk within Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, to his adventures within the triwizard tournament and his ability as a seeker for the Gryffindor team. Nico's mind had almost turned off by the time Colin came to what he called "Major deeds". With that, Nico was all ear once again.

"After having completed the tournament, the cup, which turned out to be a portkey, apparated him to a graveyard, where he said he faced a resurrected You-Know-Who and escaped a second time."

"Wait, whose You-Know-Who?" Nico asked, confused. There had certainly been no You-Know-Who on the paper Annabeth had provided.

"Come on, you just said his name and gave all of us a fright."

"Wait, you call Voldemort You-Know-Who?"

"Don't say his name! And yes, almost all wizards do!" Colin was clearly frustrated with Nico's lack of knowledge.

"Alright, sorry. Thanks for the biography tho!" Nico was serious. These kids had helped him allot.

"No problem!" They laughed. "We always like to introduce people to the fandom after all."

But the talk had distracted them; so much that they had walked into a crowd of Slytherin students.

"Another Member of your Potter fanclub, Colin?" an older one sneered.

"Piss off Carrow!" Colin replied, unfazed, but the other did not move an inch. Instead, he continued.

"Another mudblood I assume." Now, the students around them were laughing as well. Salazar's green seemed to have surrounded them; Nico could not make out one Gryffindor in the crowd.

"Don't know what to say because it's true?" Carrow asked, smirking.

Nico realized Colin was shaking with anger.

The Gryffindor repeated his previous line, but this time in rage. "Piss off, Carrow!"

The Slytherins laughed only louder at that.

"Ooooh, does little Creevey want to be left alone? Maybe jack off to some Harry Potter pictures he took with his muggle camera?" Carrow smirked.

At that, Colin lost all the self-control he had left. He charged the 6th grader and punched him in the guts. Unfazed, the Slytherin stared down at him. And then threw a devastating hook. Colin flew through the air, landing right in front of Kai, Vince and Nico. Carrow followed, trying to kick the Gryffindor into the ribs. He missed. A leg had shot out, a quick jab which had changed the arc the Slytherin's kick had made. He swore, and turned towards his new opponent.

"And I thought Gryffindors were smart. Ups, that must have been the Ravenclaws. I'll teach you a lesson; interrupting your elders is bad manners, mudblood!"

Nico grinned. "Bring it on, gayboy."

Carrow screamed angrily at the nickname and threw a quick jab, followed by two rounds and a backfist. Nico blocked the first and second, dogged the third, and caught the last with his forearm. His eyes gleamed. The movement had caused Nico's short sleeves to pull back, exposing pure muscle. The Slytherin realized his mistake. But it was too late. Three punches later and Carrow was on his knees, to dizzy to stand.

Nico, unfazed, grabbed his head, which was now perfect height, and rammed his knee into it. one fluid, devastating motion. The sixth grader crumpled, unconscious, a broken, bleeding mass the only left overs of his nose. Nico walked on, his face expressionless.

None of the other Slytherins tried to stop him or his friends as they left the corridor.

For the rest of the way, the four stayed silent.

Nico realized it was because of him. He didn't care. He knew he had shocked them, but he had done what needed to be done. If they didn't see that, they weren't worth it to be his friends. The only thing that puzzled him was the look in Kai's eyes. He still wasn't sure what it had been. Sadness? Disappointment? loyalty?

Only next night would he realize that Kai's eyes had gleamed in a mixture of amazement and new found, friendly respect.

When they arrived in the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, Professor Umbridge was already waiting for them.

"Wands aside!" She said sternly, and after a quick but equally boring introduction to the course, they were ordered to read the first chapter of the according literature. They were allowed to take notes, she had generously told them. Nico opened both the text- and notebook, but the first chapter was so boring that his concentration was fading, and with faded concentration the letters started to shift- the words were scrambled up, the sentences a complete mess.

Giving up, Nico found new concentration in the task ahead, pulled out his pen and began writing down everything Annabeth might be interested in, from Harry's feats to Voldemort's return. His mind focused and he was able to see the words and letters a lot clearer.

An "Hem, Hem" made him jerk upwards. He had been so into the work that he had not realised Umbridge walking past right behind him, checking whether the students were on task.

"Forgive me, but I do not recall the first chapter mentioning any information on Harry Potter."

She snatched the paper from his desk and read the last line out loud. "'Said he fought a resurrected You-Know-Who on a graveyard and escaped.' Interesting. Tell me, do you believe he 'said' the truth?"

"Why exactly is that of any importance, Professor?" Nico asked her, looking Umbridge straight into her cold eyes.

A starring match ensued, which he won, as when she couldn't hold the gaze any longer, she turned her head away, shuddering slightly. However, that seemed to have only made Umbridge angrier. She slammed her meaty hand on his desk, and sad in a morbidly sweet voice: "Because the ministry of magic is interested in extinguishing beliefs which border to conspiracy theories, my dear."

Nico couldn't stand the frog any longer. "It seems to me that controlling my beliefs, regardless how close to conspiracy theories they might be, is none of the ministries business. But-" and with that he ripped the paper out of her hands. "lets see. This Potter fought and killed a Basilisk, survived and won a tournament which he was by far the youngest in, killed or at least maimed a dark lord as a baby as well as saved the Philosopher's Stone, from what I am not certain" with that he dropped the piece of paper onto his desk and stood up "If there is anyone that could have survived such an encounter, it is Potter. So I don't know why he should lie about it."

Umbridge's eyes slowly began filling with fear, hands grasping for the wand on her desk. Somehow, that made Nico happy. He knew what sort of effect he could have on mortals, heck, even demigods, and normally he didn't try to exploit his powers. But this was different.

"Sit boy, before you get more detention than this school year has days!, I'll tell you. He is an attention seeking brat, who doesn't get enough of his fame."

Nico laughed out loud.

"He seems to have enough fame already. You sure that this plot will increase it enough for him to risk being called out a liar?" He replied, icily.

"I was not under the impression of him being able to think so critically." Umbridge's eyes pierced him like daggers. "Di Angelo, detention, 5pm, this wednesday night. If all of you would now return your attention to the first chapter of the book, the lesson does not end for another half an hour."

When the bell rang, Nico stormed out of the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom. At least he had learned one thing. He hated Umbridge. The paper with his notes on Harry crumbled within his hand, the anger probably clearly visible on his face, no one dared to catch up with him.

He knew that he had lunch next, and after this class he definitely wasn't hungry, so he decided to get it over with. He would find the ghost. The ghost from the welcome feast. The ghost with the dagger. And that ghost would better have, for his own sake, very satisfying answers.

Thus Nico strolled through the castle, without much direction, hoping he would stumble over any ghost that could point him in the right direction. By the time he had given up and was about to return to the great hall, he finally saw the glimmer of hope in the form of the supposed Gryffindor ghost. Colin had talked about him during transfiguration. Nearly Headless Nick they had called him, something Nico was sure the Ghost himself wasn't very fond of.

"Hey, Nick!" he called, and the creature stopped dead in its tracks, growing if possible even paler.

"Siiir" he exclaimed in a low, raspy voice, turning around and bowing and scraping while approaching Nico.

"I can't say that I did not expect our meeting. Please, I beg of you" and with that he dropped to his knees. "Ghost King, do not banish me. I am sure you know of Hades' partial exemption for wizarding creatures."

"I know of no such thing!" Nico was certain his father would have mentioned that at some point. If possible, Nick only turned paler. Nico concluded that he had probably lied to save his own neck. Understandable, given the harsh treatment Hades promised escapees.

"I am not here to banish you." Not yet anyways, he thought. If his father found out… There would be hell to pay, quite literally. The ghost sighed in relief.

"Thank you, thank you mylord-"

"But, I do have a question. I am searching a ghost. Medieval, blood all over him, a dagger on his hip, a dagger that belongs to one of my kind."

"I think I understand mylord, I suppose the dagger belonged to a demigod?"

"Yes" Nico said through gritted teeth. _If Nick new about demigods… Yes, all ghosts new about Hades, and they could feel the presence of anyone who had earned the title of Ghost King, but halfbloods? How the hell did Nick figure that out? _The ghost ripped Nico out of his thoughts.

"Oh gods, sir, you're searching for the bloody baron. But if you've come for revenge, I must beg of you, to spare him, the deed is long past and he has repented ever since, I must assure you-

"Just tell me where he is, what happens to him is completely dependent on how truthful his answers are." Nico said, rolling his eyes. Sometimes these ghosts were too compliant.

Nick bowed again- "And stop bowing. It is ridiculous."

"As you wish, Sir. I can take you to him."

Nico followed Nick through multiple corridors. He saw drops of sweat running down the pale neck, which, as Colin had said, was almost completely severed. A few minutes later, they reached a dark staircase, leading downwards, to what Nico assumed were the dungeons. Nick led him down, cells could by now be seen between the classrooms.

"This is his favourite place- Oh, there he is!" the ghost said to Nico, and yes, right in front of him, with his back turned, was the ghost Nico had seen during the feast.

"May I leave now?" Nearly Headless Nick whispered, and Nico dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Thanks for your help." he called after the retreating ghost.

_Great,_ Nico thought, now he'd be all on his own. Not to complain, he'd dealt with much worse, but confronting a demigod-murdering maniacal ghost wasn't exactly on his list of fun monday activities. Sighing, he took his first stride towards the Bloody Baron.

* * *

_Oh, you expected the great reveal already? Sorry, _laughs his best fake evil laugh_ but the real big thing is coming in the first half of next chapter. _

_I hope you enjoyed the creation of some more mysteries with Professor Binns and Nearly Headless Nick. Dam, I'd better start solving some of these, the list of different weird happenings is close to 10 or so by now… but don't worry, I've got the majority of the story outlined or at least brainstormed, so I know where I'm going with this. Well, I think. Or hope. Gods please help…_

_I'm switching to 3000+ words per chapter, one chapter a week. That means;_

_Next chapter sunday next week, so in eight days._

_Fives over and out._


	7. Chapter 7: Umbridge

**Chapter 7: Umbridge**

_Authors Note:_

_Yes, the title of this chapter is Umbridge, but don't worry, the first quarter is going to be some payoff to the Bloody Baron mystery anyways. Thanks to all that have been reading this far!_

_Disclaimer: If I owned Percy Jackson, the movies wouldn't exist, so for the last time, I don't own Percy Jackson. __Nor Harry Potter. None of it._

* * *

**Nico:**

The more steps Nico took down the hallway, the more details he was able to make out. And these details were disturbing to say the least. The ghost was rasping for air, shuddering, blood flowing out of multiple eternal wounds. As Nico got closer, he saw that the fluid on the being was not just blood, but also sweat. It seemed as if the Baron had run a damned marathon, even though Nico was sure ghosts did usually not do that. He was just a few meters away, when the wailing started.

"It was not my fault, please, It wasn't, no, I had to, please, please"

The voice of the baron was high pitched in fear, but it wasn't alone. Multiple screeches now called out from both sides, the dead, pleading for something, something Nico did not understand. Did they want him to "enact revenge", like Nick had said? Or were they hoping he would spare the ghost?

"I had to kill him, there was no other way, you have to understand, please!"

The pleading grew louder, fear slowly turning into anger. The shoulders of the slytherin ghost were shuddering, his head buried in his hands.

"Why won't you understand? The eternals commanded it, please, I had to do it."

He was slowly pulled into a frenzy.

"Why?! Why me? I had to, I had to do it."

Nico was backing off, goosebumps were all over his arms. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong, and he might just be caught in the crosshairs.

"Why? Why?! You have to understand!" YOU!" and with that the Bloody Baron turned around, his finger pointing at Nico, tears and blood running out of his eyes.

Next to the demigod dagger, a roman gladius was now hanging from his hip. Nico could have sworn the last time he'd seen the ghost, there had only been the dagger, nothing else. But those eyes, something drew Nico to them, they were filled with tears, so much so that it was almost impossible to identify their color. But what shocked Nico the most about these eyes wasn't their inherent sadness, nor the blood pouring out of them.

It was that he knew them. He knew the dark brown, the smooth iris which pulled you in like a black hole but still radiated so much cold and warmth at the same time. He had looked into these eyes more than into any other during his short, pathetic life.

They were his mothers eyes, his sister's eyes, - his eyes.

Nico woke to the clapping of running feet on cobblestones.

"There you are!"

Holy shit, you know how much we worried?!"

Colin and Kai were running towards him, then kneeling above were he was lying. Lying? He didn't remember going to sleep, or passing out, or even being knocked out. What the fuck was he doing on the floor?

Colin held out his hand, and Nico, thankful, grabbed it, feeling too weak to get up on his own.

"The way you stood up to that Umbridge woman was fantastic!" Kai exclaimed, and Colin nodded in agreement. It seemed that Colin had finally gotten over Nico beating up that Slytherin.

"By the way, I think Ginny really liked that."

"I'm sorry, who?" Nico asked, confused.

"Ginny Weasley, she's probably the hottest girl in our class, only dated 5th grade and up till now, so you're the first one our age who might actually have a chance." Kai stated, with a look that almost seemed like pride for Nico's supposed accomplishment.

"Thanks, but I'll pass." Nico said, shrugging it off. In fact, Kai was much more his type. Dark eyebrows, a tan, likely artificially bleached hair, for the lower ones still had a hint of dark brown, a perfect haircut, meet-me-at-McDonalds style, muscular, but not too muscular-

"Hey, HEY, listen." Colin ripped him out of his thoughts, waving his hand in front of Nicos eyes. "You missed a lesson. It isn't bad, we only lost a few points, but we'd better get you to the last one, it starts in a few minutes."

"Alright," Nico said, still shaking a little.

"Also, I didn't thank you before, it happened so fast and we all were kinda shocked. Thanks for saving me back there Nico. Otherwise that Slytherin would have put me in the hospital wing."

"Not a big deal" the son of Hades muttered, relieved his new friends did not feel he had acted too harshly.

"He'll be in the infirmary for quite a while." Kai chuckled. "Madame Pomfrey told me she has never seen such a squished nose before". He high fived the Ghost King.

On the way to their last class, Nico was lost in his thoughts. If what he had seen was real- If the ghost actually was -

The other demigods needed to know about all this ghost stuff, and they needed to know about it fast.

**Leo:**

The first lesson of the day, one and a half hours of magical history, was probably the most boring class Leo had ever had the bad luck to have to sit through. The ghost that taught them droned on and on about giant wars, and while the giants ripping apart humans - attack on titan anyone? could have been interesting, the teacher performed the miracle of making it not so.

He knew Annabeth would be cross with him if he didn't take some notes, especially none which they might find useful for their investigation of wizard kind, so without great engagement he scribbled some information on a piece of parchment for the first twenty minutes before giving up.

With a sigh, he drew out a tiny screwdriver and some nuts and bolts from his toolbelt, continuing the work on his project. The miniature attack helicopter grew steadily. He had armed it with tiny ink filled pellets and was quite sure it would survive its first testrun. Half an hour later, damn it, still forty minutes of class to go, he let lose his own type of magic. The attack helicopter was oiled well, and created almost no sound at all, but at once had caught the attention of most of his classmates.

The steering device he had created was just as tiny as the flying creation, but with a few buttons pressed, the helicopter made a dive, a loop, and then surred through the room, before it landed right in front of him. Leo grinned. It worked perfectly. He took up his screwdriver once again and bent over the little machine, checking that all the bolts were still securely in place. Only then did he realise that every person in the room, with the exception of Professor Binns, was staring at him. Ron, who sat behind him, had completely abandoned Harry and his game of hangman and was open mouthed. Hermione, less impressed but as surprised, patted him on the back.

"I'd say well done, but this doesn't seem like history to me." She hissed.

Leo pulled a grimace. "I'd try to concentrate, but with this teacher, i'd fall asleep in the first five minutes!"

"See, even the americans can't withstand Binns' power." Ron said to Hermione, with the air of determination of someone who was just reopening an argument.

Hermione ignored him though and returned to her notes. Seamus, whom Leo had first meet at the feast, gave him a thumbs up. For the rest of the lesson, Leo improved the shape of the rotor blades. When the bell rang, he packed up his stuff to head to break, but was quickly surrounded by Dean, Seamus and Neville.

"Wow! What type of magic was that!"

"The most interesting thing that ever happened in history class!"

"Where d-did you learn that?"

Where just excerpts of the many comments and questions he got over the next few minutes. Leo answered as much as he could without giving away his true identity, but even that scarce insight fascinated the other students. By the time break was over, he was happy to say that he had been accepted as a new member of their class. His lack of closeness with Harry however annoyed him. How could he get the information Annabeth wanted if they never talked?

Potions was, Leo was sure, the one and only subject he'd ever be good at. Following the instructions was easy enough, even though he sometimes had to ask Dean to read them for him, as his Dyslexia had the unnerving habit of turning on and off. His hands where at home. Finally, he could move them as fast as he wanted, with purpose and extreme precision, without being called out for it. And of course, working with fire was just right for him. His stew, or however one should call it, had almost the same consistency and color as that of Hermione, and according to Dean, that was fantastic.

Even Snape, the grumpy and quite scary looking professor, could not find anything to criticize. They had class with the Slytherins, the supposed arch-enemy of the Gryffindors. At the thought he almost laughed, one of Nico's favourite bands was called something like that. Arch Enemy. The last time Nico had listened to one of their songs, the entire camp had been evacuated, the growling of the lead-singer sounding suspiciously close to that of a hundred hellhounds. Needless to say, Chiron had been pissed at Nico.

Leo was ripped out of his thoughts by the nasal voice of Professor Snape. "Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"

Damn, that Professor had it in for Harry. Both radiated so much anger that Leo was sure the temperature had gone up by multiple degrees.

Harry gave his answer, but so quietly that no one other than Snape was able to understand it. Harry, more loudly, repeated "No, I forgot the hellebore."

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."

And to Leo's surprise, the entire concoction within the cauldron disappeared. Poor Harry was now standing foolishly next to an empty cauldron, his face a mask of hate. Leo felt for the guy. Being bullied by a teacher was something he knew all too well.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing. Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday."

All of the students, including Leo, sighed loudly at that. What the hell was moonstone? And how was he supposed to write an essay when the only language he could write decently in without his dyslexia ruining it was ancient greek? Pissed, he handed in his flagon, packed up his bag, but when he looked over his shoulder, he saw that he wasn't the only one angry.

Harry was storming out of the room, Ron and Hermione starring after him, worried. Hermione threw a look over to Leo and blushed when their eyes met each other. Ron lifted an eyebrow and Leo chose to stare at his bag instead. If she was crushing on him, tough luck, cause Calypso was waiting for him in Camp Halfblood. Pulling his bag over his shoulder he asked Dean:

"What's next?"

"Lunch, then Divination or Ancient Runes. Finished off by some Defense against the Dark Arts" The student answered, his stomach growling so loudly that Leo was sure even Snape had heard it.

"Great, cause I'm starving!"

The food in the Great Hall tasted just as good as it had during the feast, and conversation with his classmates was pleasant enough. Only Harry, Ron and Hermione sat a few seats away. He had just loaded his plate with a second helping of mashed potatoes, beef and some carrots - Calypso was going to kill him if he didn't eat anything healthy, when Seamus asked:

"Not to sound rude, but why aren't you wearing your own uniforms?"

Quickly swallowing, Leo answered with a question himself. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, most visitors wore their school uniforms, like the Beauxbatons and the Durmstrangs last year. You Americans are wearing Hogwarts robes instead." Dean jumped in.

"Oh, so we can wear our own ones? We seriously didn't know. I'll talk to the others, we might use them from tomorrow onwards."

The others buzzed with speculations and questions about the look of american wizard robes, but he just smirked and said:

"You'll see."

In truth the Camp Half Blood shirt that was their uniform would not live up to the expectations. Leo was quite scared about the other students possible reactions, laughter probably. Well, he'd see tomorrow.

Ancient Runes, he had decided that divination was nothing for him, was boring. Hermione was the only other student of his house, but another tree Ravenclaws had joined them for the lesson, so that they were five students in total. Luckily for him, Hermione was so focused on he work, that no other incidents like the previous one occured. He had hoped that the runes would be similar to ancient greek, but they were polar opposites it seemed, and made his head swirl. The Professor seemed to notice, but kindly let it slip. When the bell rang, he was called back into the classroom.

Professor Babbling looked worried. "Are you alright my dear? It does not seem like you were able to follow the course material."

"I'm sorry Professor. I had thought that this class was similar to one of the mine in America, Ancient Greek, but I found that not to be the case, so I was kinda lost."

"That's alright," she smiled warmly at him. "I'll talk to Professor Trelawney, I am sure you can join her class of divination. I'm sorry, but you playing catch up during the fifth year simply doesn't work with a subject as complicated as ancient runes."

"Ok, that sounds good, thanks!" Leo replied, actually quite happy with the outcome. At least he wouldn't be stuck with Hermione for the rest of the year. Not to say that she wasn't nice, or good looking, or intelligent, -holly shit that sounds wrong, he thought, but no one, no one could compare to Calypso.

The Professor nodded her approval and dismissed him, and he rushed out of the classroom to still enjoy whatever was left of his break.

The last class of the day was Defense against the Dark Arts, the subject taught by the new Professor, who, based on Annabeth's theory, worked for the ministry. Leo couldn't wait for school to be over. He had actually had more fun than he had expected, one good lesson a day was not to be underestimated, but his head was aching from all the information dumped on him, and he really wanted to see a face that he had known for more than two damned days.

"Well, good afternoon!" Umbridge said, ripping Leo out of his thoughts. That is when hell began. The mumbled replies did not make her happy, and neither did the many resistant interruptions and complaints when she started bashing earlier teachers. Leo quickly developed great respect for Hermione after seeing her standing her ground against the Professor.

And sure enough conflict arose in the form of a wordy duel between Harry and Umbridge, Leo thought.

"This is school Potter, not the real world."

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."

"You have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It is NOT a lie! I saw him, I fought him!"

Damn, he had guts, Leo thought.

"Detention Mr. Potter! Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any dark wizard."

With that, she began a long and winding explanation of her view point, but Leo wasn't listening. Annabeth had been right! This witch WAS representing, or at least supporting, the ministry, and more importantly, he could now tell Annabeth what the conflict was actually about. The school believed Voldemort, the guy Harry had killed as a baby _-how the hell he had managed that Leo was still not very sure about,_ had returned. The Ministry of Magic did not believe that to be the case. This was important, radically important. He'd have to get that to the others as fast as possible.

Leo had just finished that trail of thought, when Harry stood up. Leo assumed that Umbridge had finished her little speech, as she was now sitting at her desk once again, but Potter did not seem to be backing down. Seriously, that guy was either extremely brave or really stupid.  
"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" the student asked, his voice shaking.

The way the others reacted, this was not a topic often discussed, and within Leo's ears, Annabeth's voice reminded him once again that this might be important.

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," she said coldly.

"It was murder. Voldemort killed him and you know it."

In her most sweet, girly voice, Umbridge replied: "come here Mr. Potter, dear."

Leo, just like the rest of the class, held his breath. Harry was fucked. He felt sorry for the guy. But instead of getting caned or hit or some other punishment Leo had gotten to know much too well over the years, she wrote a short note, sealing it and pressing it at his chest. "Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear."

Without another word, Harry stormed out of the room. Leo saw Ron and Hermione exchange worried looks. Umbridge ordered them to return to their books, and sighing, Leo got ready to spend another twenty minutes with pure boredom.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed this chapter, as well as the twist at the beginning. Trust me, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Dam it, I didn't even realize, but all the slightly romance-like thoughts in the entire fanfic have been cramped into this chapter. Holy shit, i hope that wasn't to much for you guys. I didn't plan it, I swear. _

_But don't worry, there's nothing serious going on between Leo and Hermione. Just there to add some extra tension and stuff. Nico and Kai… That I really am not sure about. What do you guys think? Let me know if you'd prefer this fic to build towards/into Solangelo or go with Kai, through the review function below._

_Next Chapter next week, same day._

_Fives over and out_


	8. Chapter 8: Teamwork

**_Author's Note:_**

_Sorry for the three week wait, fuck, it's been long, but this chapter isn't that lengthy either :(_

_Just lots of personal stuff happening, as well as some other projects I really wanted to get done, plus a bunch of family visits (I guess that counts as personal stuff tho lol), but I promise, I'll give this much more attention from now on once again._

_**Disclaimer:** If you truly think my amateur writing comes anywhere close to the genius that is Rowling or Riordan, you haven't been paying attention. __My writing sucks in comparison. I own neither._

* * *

**Annabeth:**

The late afternoon she and Percy spent on homework, and much of the time after dinner as well. While eating, none of the four demigods had spoken much, encircled as they were by unsuspecting wizards, and tired of the day's activity, which, while only performed mentally, had taken much more of a toll on them than any day at Camp Half Blood could have managed to have.

By the time she closed her history textbook, having fact-checked both hers and Percy's essay for Professor Binns, her head was pounding terribly. But it was of no use, the common room was already emptying, and she'd soon have to drum the others together to collect their share of information.

It was more than likely that they'd have enough to report back to Chiron immediately. But she wasn't even sure if they could IM him through all the magic of the castle. Damn it, another point on her to worry list, Annabeth thought.

Percy nudged her, and she looked up, realising that the common room was by now quite empty, only a fourth grader to be seen, walking towards the staircase. Leo moved over to them, taking seat on the couch opposite, and upon Percy's beckoning, a moaning Nico left his place by the staircase to sit on the couch to Annabeth's right. With a last rueful look at the staircase and her waiting bed, she pulled out a stack of paper, some already scribbled utterly over, filled with the days notes.

She was the first to report, how they had managed to gather an understanding of the little knowledge wizards had on the mythological world, that Percy was in danger of being put down a grade and had put himself into a position where it was impossible for him to refuse part-taking in Quidditch tryouts, at which Percy chuckled, and the lying ghost of a professor.

"So you believe that Professor Binns knew something the other wizards do not, based on that… evidence?" Leo asked, a sliver of mockery in his voice.

Annabeth kept her retort to herself, knowing how tired the school day had made him.

"I'd go further than that. I think he knows the greek gods exist, he knows we're demigods, but he's trying to keep it a secret from both the other wizards and us."

"But why would he do that?" Percy asked, bewildered.

"We'll have to find out. For now, I've documented all of it and added the pages to the rest of the notes. You found anything useful Leo?"

"We'll kinda. First off, the ministry and the school are in conflict over whether Voldemort is back or not."

"Wait, wasn't he dead?"

"Why wouldn't Hades notice?"

Percy and Annabeth both battered Leo with questions in quick succession.

"Chill your pants, I don't know! Ask Harry, he said he fought him, and got detention from Umbridge for that."

"Alright, anything else?"

"Well, Umbridge is a bitch, oh, and we're supposed to wear our American uniforms. The other visitors and exchange students seemingly did so."

"That'll be easy enough; we'll just wear our Camp Halfblood shirts and the necklace of the camps as well as jeans."

Leo looked doubtful, but said no more on the subject.

"I suspect you documented all of that, in more detail than what was said here?" Annabeth asked, her eyebrows raised. She was sure that Leo had not given much thought to his notes.

But to her surprise, he pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment, quite large, notes in ancient greek neatly filling the paper. She took it in, flattened it and put it down upon the growing stack of notes.

"I guess it's your turn, Nico. The Ghost, what did you learn?"

It was the first time Nico had spoken this evening, and his voice was raspy from the lack of use.

"Nothing good. The ghost was a child of Hades. A demigod AND a wizard. He begged my forgiveness, for what I don't know. He had another weapon on his belt. A roman sword, demigod forged, by the looks of it."

Percy loudly drew in his breath.

"But that wasn't all. The Ghost that brought me to him, Nearly Headless Nick, he knew. He knew of the greek gods, of my demigod status, everything."

Silence followed.

"Why do all these damned ghosts know, while the rest doesn't?!" Leo exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air.

Nico pulled out some carefully folded pieces of parchment.

"Here are my notes, on that as well as on Harry. I'm going to bed." And with that, he left the others perplexed behind him, briskly walking towards the stairs and disappearing above.

"What the fuck is going on with him?" Percy asked.

Annabeth only shook her head in worry.

**Leo:**

The meeting was over early, thanks to Nico storming off, and although Leo knew he should be worried for his friend, he was happy for once. This meant he'd be able to IM Calypso earlier than he could have hoped for. Percy and Annabeth had already said goodnight and headed upstairs. The only thing he needed now was a rainbow. Luckily, there was a small bathroom at the eastern side of the common room. He locked himself in and turned on the shower; throwing a Drachme in.

"Oh Iris, please show me the wonderful and stunning Calypso!" He called out.

His girlfriend appeared in front of him. It was early evening in Camp Halfblood; the strawberry fields were still full with satyrs, campers and nymphs doing their work and within the arena two groups were fighting in formation with blunted weapons.

"You do know I hear what you call me when praying to Iris?" Calypso asked smirking. She was as beautiful as ever, her long hair styled, her pale skin standing in stark contrast to the green hills behind her. Cute freckles framed her eyes. Her white gown didn't leave much to the imagination.

"Well, I'm just being honest with my compliments." Leo chuckled at her question.

"You still think I'm showing too much skin, don't you?" She asked winking. Leo almost sighed. His girlfriend was too good at reading his thoughts.

"Hey, you can wear whatever you want. And you look great in this. It's also not like the campers are rapists. I'd wear something else when heading to New York if I were you though."

Calypso laughed at that. "Cuz I'm obviously heading into the mortal world."

She knew Leo had grown up in some rough neighbourhoods and wasn't mad at him. Just like Leo knew that she still didn't understand how wearing something else would hinder harassment. He doubted they'd ever see eye to eye on this, but Leo had made his experiences, and regardless if a boy or girl, it was best if you didn't draw any kind of attention to yourself on those streets.

From clothing, to not making eye contact, to not speaking too loud- Keeping low was something he had learned the hard way.

"So how's camp without me?" Leo asked, winking.

"Great!"

"You sure?"

"1000%" She laughed. Leo smiled. It felt good to joke around.

"In all seriousness, it was pretty good. But the satyrs are still disappearing and Chiron has issued a curfew." Leo whistled at that.

She continued. "We're trying to stock up on food, so I've been working in the strawberry fields a lot, and the campers are training harder than ever. But as serious as that sounds, were all still pretty joyful. Until now, all was fun and games." She said.

"So you're not expecting an attack?"

"Nah, for the moment not. And from what the others are telling me this camp is the strongest its been since 1853, so we're prepared."

Leo smiled. "That's good to hear."

"So how's school going?" she asked, smirking at the thought of Leo at a desk.

"It's been quite ok actually. We've made some friends, though the ghosts have been acting weirdly and there's some demigod killing ghost here according to Nico. Haven't found much information related to our problems though." Leo ended, his smile having faded from his face.

"Ghost problems, huh? Can't relate, last time I've seen a ghost was a few thousand years ago." She said, laughing.

"Ohhhh, trust me, once I'm dead my ghost is expecting a lot of visits in the underworld." Leo teased.

Calypso grinned, a reply already on her lips.

The banter continued deep into the night.

Leo looked at his watch and almost got a heart attack. It was three in the morning. "Shiiiit! It's three in the morning here."

"It's getting late, daaamn." Calypso said, similarly shocked at the darkness that had crept in around her; she seemed not to have noticed it.

"Well, it was sooo not fun talking to you." She said, a smile on her lips.

"Yep, a worse punishment they won't find in all of Hades." he replied smoothly.

"Well when you're back you better have your revenge with some kisses."

Leo laughed at that. "Love you."

"Love you too!" She said, grinning, her face slightly flushed. They still hadn't gotten used to those words. But Leo had meant it. He couldn't think of living the rest of his life with someone other than Calypso.

She blew him a kiss and he winked while his hand gently wiped through the mist, her image disappearing. Leo slowly stood up, left the bathroom and walked up the stairs. He hadn't been so happy nor so sad in a long time. He was pretty sure it would be ages before he'd be able to hold Calypso again.

* * *

_Thanks so much to all that have been sticking with me even though I didn't post, you mean the world to me._

_Fives over and out_


	9. Chapter 9: Caught Red-Handed

Chapter 9:

_Author's Note:_

_Well, sorry, I know I swore it would be a full-fledged chapter, now it's a thousand words less, but that means a thousand five hundred word improvement to last chapter, right? Sorry, I'll try to be a little better next time. Maybe I'll be able to do five hundred words more lol._

_Thanks a lot to the reader that has reviewed a total of three times, that's insane, I'm really grateful! Answers I've already sent by DM but for the benefit of the entire audience I'll reply at the bottom of this chapter a second time. Thanks also to all the others that followed and favourited! Last week was a crazy increase, so I'm definitely motivated in getting back on track._

_Hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: Nope, I sadly still don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson._

* * *

**Nico:**

He woke up, just before sunrise, the sky a pitch black for the most part. Only a slight glimmer could be seen above the mountains which for now hid the sun, and the air was moist and cold. In the dim light the rock's sharp edges looked like the blades of long forgotten gods, broken, scarred, yet deadly. A lone bird could be seen, high in the sky, forsaken by his kind and giving off quiet, yet high pitched screeches_. _

_This entire landscape is quite comparable to my heart,_ Nico thought in a sudden burst of black humour. He knew what his friends would say to such a joke, as well as the worried looks he would get during breakfast, but for now he didn't care much about that.

His attention was solely put upon the Bloody Baron, all his thoughts circling around the mystery demigod-wizard. So there had been connections between the two worlds, he thought, for what surely was the third time that night. A child of Hades no less. That was more than interesting. It was terrifying. Somebody that had both the power of the gods and the magical, nothing would be able to stand in his way. And nothing had, as it seemed, for the ghost had worn multiple demigod weapons as trophies. _Then why did it plead for mercy when seeing you?_ His conscience asked, which in his head had quite annoyingly taken on the voice of Bianca since her death.

_Stop it, will you? _Nico exclaimed with closed lips.

_You want to paint it as a monster, so that you might banish it to the underworld. You don't want to hear its story. You're afraid. _The voice in his head had seemingly decided to continue its moral tirade.

_No! I am not afraid. But such actions shouldn't go unpunished._ Nico knew he was lying. He was afraid. Or at least a little bit. As much as a ghost king could be afraid of ghosts.

_He will be punished. But your mission should be your first priority._ The voice stopped speaking, and with a quelling certainty Nico knew those where her final words. For now at least.

Sighing, he ripped open the curtains which surrounded his bed. Nico wasn't used to long conversations with his conscience. Not since the battle of Manhattan. Not since he had tricked and used Percy in the underworld. Annabeth had said something of putting on Camp Half Blood shirts for school, so instead of his Hogwarts robes, he happily donned a black CHB shirt. Originally, Chiron had tried to force him into wearing the traditional orange of the camp, but by the third he had 'accidentally' spray painted black, the director had given in. The Camp Shop was now officially selling black CHB shirts, and Nico had happily thrown away the messy sprayed ones to wear the smooth black. Rachel had taught him in the first place, and hadn't been amused when she had found these shirts unceremoniously dumped in the trash can. _Well, I'm definitely not a hoarder, and even less an artist,_ Nico thought while slowly creeping in between the beds as not to wake the others. He closed the door behind him and made his way down to the common room. Falling into one of the couches, he waited for the other three to appear.

The wheeze of a rusty hinge woke Nico. Disturbed, he looked around. Had he fallen asleep while waiting for his friends? He must have.

Shit. had he missed any lessons? But no, the clock showed 6:40. The others probably weren't even awake yet. But in that case, what had made that noise? His eyes scanned the room, until; the canvas covering the entrance hole was wide open. And within it stood-

"Kai? What the f*ck are you doing here?" the Ghost King asked, surprise etched on his face.

Kai looked a little tired, his hair messy and his washed out, green T-shirt bespeckled with colorful drops of paint. A bag was hanging over his shoulder- spray cans were sticking out of it.

Slowly, the wizard raised his finger to his lips. "Shhh" he said, smirking, and walked towards the staircase. When passing the Ghost King's couch, he ruffled Nico's hair. Man, that kid had problems, Nico thought.

His hand almost jerked to his sword under the hogwarts robes. But when Kai was walking up the staircase, Nico couldn't help but glance at the wizard's ass. The Bloody Baron had been wiped from his mind.

What the fuck was a wizard doing with spray paints in the middle of the night?

_half an hour later_

Breakfast was a merry affair, with the demigods only occasionally throwing concerned looks in his direction. Kai was sitting a few seats away from him. But even at that distance, he looked tired. He hadn't said a word about their nightly encounter, and Nico was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to either. Leo had already finished eating and was now continuing to modify his tiny attack helicopter, for what purpose Nico didn't want to even dream of. However, it wasn't the plasma cannon, incinerator or other deadly device that he had expected. Instead, Leo put the helicopter on the table and poked Seamus, who sat next to him.

The other Hogwarts student nodded, as if he already knew the plan, and put his sausages into a gigantic hole within its top plating. Nico starred at the tiny thing, suspicions arising.

Leo pulled out his controller and blew Nico a mockery kiss. Percy laughed as Nico flipped both of them off.

The little rotors began spinning, and slowly, heavy with its load, the helicopter launched from the table, surring high towards the roof and then above the Slytherin table. Leo mouthed "Fire!" at the others, and pressed a button.

The attack helicopter deserved its name. It took up such speed that it seemed to fall down towards Malfoy's head, a small explosion of tiny bits of meat erupting out of its frontal nose. Like miniature bullets, hundreds and hundreds of them flew out, followed by what looked like ketchup. Soon the closest Slytherins were all rushing from the table, protecting their heads with the now red dripping school bags. Malfoy was screaming in anger, his face having sustained multiple hits, his cheek quite covered with the greasy mess.

The Gryffindors laughed to the point of tears at the spectacle, Leo getting multiple thumbs up and pats on the back. At the Ravenclaw table, Luna was bent double, gasping for air, laughing so hard the others stared at her in bewilderment. Even he, the Ghost King, smiled. Teachers were already heading down, to get the disaster under control and find the marauder that disturbed the peaceful breakfast, but they were too late.

Leo had expertly landed the helicopter on one of the arches across the hall, impossible to spot, and his controller had disappeared within his tool belt.

A short while later, Colin pulled Nico away from the table, towards the first lesson, Potions. The Helicopter had definitely done much to improve Nico's bad mood. He suspected Leo had done it to accomplish exactly that, which was cute in its own way. It was good to have friends, even if it often was more restricting than the life he had lived for the past few years, alone, only responsible for and only answering to himself. But those days were done, and there was no going back, not after having fought a war alongside many of them for the second time in his life.

He was ripped out of such philosophy by the addition of Kai and Vince to the small party heading down into the dungeons.

"Hey" Kai greeted him with a fistbumb.

"That's what I call a motivated greeting" Nico retorted, rolling his eyes for good measure.

Kai smirked. "Wait until you see our Potions Professor. He'll rip the smile of your face in no time!"

"is he that bad?" Nico asked, kind of concerned. Until now, all of the Professors had seemed nice enough.

Colin laughed. "You'll get along greatly. He's really like you. Dark clothes, badly kept hair, always grumpy, quite mean-"

"Thanks for that." Nico jokingly punched Colin's shoulder.

"Nah, Snape ain't that good looking." Kai threw in, teasingly.

Nico's heart skipped a beat at that. Did Kai really think-

"So what you think Snape is going to start us off with?"

"Probably the hardest he is allowed to give us."

"Hope not, or we'll all sit in detention for having blown up our cauldrons."

_Holy shit_, Nico thought. This might just get interesting. He really wasn't looking forward to blowing up his own cauldron, nor to spending detention both with Umbridge and Snape.

**Annabeth:**

Their 'cheer up' plan had worked fantastically, Annabeth happily concluded after breakfast. She hadn't seen Nico smile, _when did he anyways?-_, but he looked a little less gloomy and more importantly less likely to chop the next teacher that came across his path into 20 pieces. Leo's idea of drenching the Slytherins in fake blood, aka Ketchup, had been fantastic. Nothing cleanses the minds better than some bloodshed, the Roman demigods liked to remind her, and in this case at least, they had been right.

She and Percy headed down to their second lesson charms. Luckily, his control had improved drastically, earning him surprised looks from both his girlfriend and Katie, as well as "Ten points for Gryffindor!" from Professor Flitwick. Thus a boost of morale was given that couldn't even be hampered by the long essay and difficult practice he pushed upon them for homework. Today, Annabeth was less concentrated than she had been before.

The notes the others had given her last night were still being mulled over within her head. After Nico's abrupt leave they had decided against contacting Chiron, and instead had planned to discuss possible processes this evening. But that was by far a wise decision, for the notes they had collected would likely need to be analysed as well as transcribed, so that they could keep a copy. Indeed, it had given her much to think about, from Harry's conflict with Umbridge to the mysterious Eternals the Bloody Baron had mentioned. Mysteries over mysteries, and then there were the monsters they had met at Kings Cross, and still no lead in regards to the Satyrs. _It has only been two days_, Annabeth told herself in an effort to calm down. They had known that this was likely to be an extended mission, nothing to worry about.

She was ripped out of her thoughts by the bell, which announced the end of the lesson and beginning of a short break. Percy gave a content sigh and packed up his stuff. He had every reason to be happy, Annabeth thought, a little envious. He didn't need to keep all the planning in mind, nor all the information they had collected. On the other hand, as she led the mission, she would likely get most of the glory should they succeed. And anyways, she could never be mad or envious at Percy for long. She loved him too much for that.

The next lesson was divination, which quite reversed the days happy beginning. Poor Percy had seemingly become Professor Trelawney's test subject. She was cheerfully reading his death in multiple different gruesome scenarios from his palms, a glass ball as well as tea leaves. By the end of the class Annabeth was close to ramming her dagger deep into that bitches ass, but she knew it was useless. Demigod weapons couldn't injure mortals.

By lunch, they were both exhausted, but decided to practice the spells anyways. If they wanted to keep their cover, their magical abilities would need to be top notch.

**Hermione:**

Hermione was walking down the last staircase towards the great hall, when she heard it. Muffled spells and quiet talking filled the seemingly empty classroom to her right.

"Vingardium Leviosa!" rang loud and clear out of the room. At first she wasn't surprised, rather impressed. Students that practiced during lunch break? That was unusual to say the least. But then she halted. The voice that had cast the spell had been too old to be a first or second grader, and only those had problems with such simple spells. Intrigued, she crept closer, to throw a look into the classroom. And then she saw the two. Annabeth and what was his name again? Peter? No, it was… something greek, oh, Percy! That was it.

"Come on, you'll better nail that spell by tomorrow, or our cover is utterly ruined."

"Utterly? Can't you use less fancy language, wise girl?" Percy replied, chuckling while pulling the girl into a hug.

Hermione's heart stopped a moment. Cover? What the hell was going on? Was this an infiltration? And who would infiltrate a magic school without knowing anything about magic? Slowly she stepped backwards. Something was off, and she was going to find out what it was.

* * *

_Alright, hope you liked it! A little slower, but the plot will pick up heavier again next chapter, and of course the cliff hanger will be continued XD._

_Review answers:_

_A second time, thanks so much! Firstly, yes, I agree Nico should be happy. But I'm a dark writer, so that might change after another ten chapters or _so fake evil laugh_. I'm definetly considering pairing him with Kai, buuut, if you guys would prefer Solangelo, write that in the comments and I'll change my mind. Hope you enjoyed the prank and banter side of things this chapter, now that I've got the plot filled first school day out of the way there'll be once again some more space for that._

_Next chapter next sunday_

_Fives over and out_


	10. Chapter 10: Counteroffensive

**Chapter 10: Counteroffensive**

_**Author's note:**_

_ Answers to reviews again at the bottom, thanks to everyone who's sticking with me, it means a great deal. This chapter is huge, plot wise. Hope you enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: **__If I owned Heroes of Olympus, Percico would be real, so no, I don't own either Heroes of Olympus or Harry Potter._

* * *

**Hermione:**

With quick steps, she approached the Gryffindor table, anxious to hide her fear. If the four exchange students found out… They would do anything to stay undercover, Hermione was certain of it. Her hands slightly trembling, she took the seat across from Harry and Ron. Both looked up surprised at her hiss.

"We're in serious danger! I've found something."

Ron, his mouth quite filled with food, gave an indiscriminate sound of questioning.

She rolled her eyes and continued, her focus lying on Harry. "These exchange students, they're not exchange students, or at least not really. They're infiltrating the school."

Harry had bent over the table, trying to understand her quick whispers. "So you're saying that they're working for Voldemort?" His face was elongated by a deep frown.

"No! But they're not who they say they are. They seem to be completely new to the magical world."

"Well, if they're not death eaters, it doesn't seem that bad." Harry replied, tension clearly falling off him.

Internally, Hermione swore at his ignorance. "Harry, the world isn't divided into good people and death eaters."

Ron had finally swallowed his gigantic bite of chicken and spoke up. "I've always thought that there was something fishy with those four. Seriously, all Gryffindors? And what type of magical school is called CHB?"

Hermione saw how Harry had to keep a giggle from coming through his mouth. It was quite funny, those uniforms. All other visitors had had fancy clothes, to impress the Hogwarts students they always had gone to their full lengths. Not these four. Their school attire had been made of muggle clothes, with three letters printed on top. Originally, it had been the laughing stock of the school, but now…

"Wait, maybe they aren't wearing muggle clothes because they're school has weird uniforms, but rather because they are muggles!" Hermione exclaimed triumphantly, certain that she had digged up the secret.

"But how the hell would they be able to do magic then?" Ron asked dismissively.

That question touched something within Hermione. A memory. An old one at that. A dark feeling spread around her heart. Could history repeat itself? "Usually not, but there was one case, one similar case, which blew up all proportions of conflict." Her eyes stared into the void. "This could be deadly. I've got to go to the library."

With that, she left her half full platter behind her and stormed out of the Great Hall.

**Nico:**

Potions had been alright. Snape hadn't been as evil as Nico had expected. On the other hand, Nico had been through Tartarus and back, so maybe by now nothing of the mortal realm seemed evil to him. Colin on the other hand did have it quite hard. Snape had picked on him repeatedly. Even though his cauldron was clean for all Nico could see, Snape still took "Five points from Gryffindor for lax cleaning standards, Creevey!". These little punishments quickly mounted; by the time the lesson reached its half-mark, Colin had lost twenty points.

Reading the board wasn't as bad as Nico had expected. His dyslexia was in check; for now. Once, he did get two ingredients mixed up, but a hand shot out, grabbed his wrist and stopped him just in time from pouring elks milk into the brew.

For a second, Nico stared at the arm. There was a leather bracelet at the wrist; brown with celtic designs across it. The hand was speckled with paint. Nico looked up and realised that it belonged to Kai. The wizard looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Elk blood, Nico, not Elk milk." He let go of Nico, and the Ghost King, a slight blush on his cheeks, took out the right flask.

With an over the top shake of the head and a sarcastic sigh, Kai returned to his table. "You disappoint me, Di Angelo" he said in a perfect imitation of Snape's voice. He winked at Nico.

Colin bent double from laughter. Even Nico couldn't help but smirk. Until-

"20 points from Gryffindor." A cold voice, calm and oily had arisen behind them. There stood Snape, and he was all but amused.

If potions hadn't been fun beforehand, it definitely was no fun now. They all let out sighs of relief once the lesson was over and the dungeon classroom safely behind them.

"That was intense." Vince spoke the heart of all of them.

Slowly, conversation came back to the class, now all making their ways through the corridors to reach Charms. But the crowd stuttered to a halt. The way in front of them was blocked by a long rope, hanging from one wall to the opposite.

Behind it stood Filch, muttering angrily to himself. He was rubbing at the wall with a gigantic cleaning broom, all types of wizard cleaning fluids being kept in large bottles on the floor. What Filch was trying to clear away was a-

Nico wasn't sure what it was. A rabbit with gigantic eyes and a humanoid body that still had fur, with huge teeth and holding what could only be a brush, painting easter eggs was the best description he could have given, but it just didn't come close to what was actually on the wall. It was surreal; ugly yet beautiful.

The creature itself looked like a drug addict had pulled out of his fantasy, but the technique was flawless. Even Nico, who had no clue of graffiti, knew that the outlines where sharper than it should have been possible, and that those color transitions were smooth as hell. And not only that, the detail put into the thing was insane. The egg had tiny writing on it. The rabbit's fur had a brown and white pattern and texture which made it seem as if you saw every hair.

He looked at Colin, and stopped. He and Kai were in a deep conversation, whispering so quietly the Ghost King could only understand every second word.

"Nice first for this year-

I tried something big yah now

Jesse Smith tattoo style, clearly,

I know, I know, tattoo artist, not grafiti, but-"

At that, Kai cought Nico's eyes and winked.

It hit the son of Hades like a truck. Kai had done this? Was that why he had returned to the common room that morning? It had to be it. How many other students were running around with spray-cans and had hands speckled with paint?

The Ghost King decided to revise his conclusion about Kai. The wizard wasn't only hot, he was cool. Like cooler than cool. And for Nico to acknowledge anyone as cool was quite the miracle.

**Harry: **

After he and Ron had finished eating, they headed towards the library as well, for once extremely interested in Hermione's possible findings. She had looked more terrified than ever before, and that was saying something.

"Typical Hermione. If she's scared to death, she thinks a few books might help."

"As long as she survives the read i'm honestly fine with that." He answered, at which Ron chuckled.

The two passed multiple younger students on their way through the halls, almost jumping up when Annabeth and Percy crossed their paths. They tried looking as normal as possible, giving the Americans as many glances as they thought they normally would, and walking briskly past. Sweat trickled down Harry's forehead. He had a distinct feeling that the two knew about their little conversation in the Great Hall. Ron moaned when the couple was out of earshot.

"I think they knew." Harry told him nervously.

"I didn't notice anything."

"Something was off." Harry insisted.

Ron almost laughed. "That's the point with these Americans. Something's always off."

After passing a last corridor, they stood in front of the library, the hallways empty and still, except for Mrs. Norris. The cat sat upon the floor, unmoving, staring at them accusingly.

Harry shuddered and stept through the door, making sure he closed it after himself so that Filch's spy couldn't follow. Inside, they were rushed upon by a hysteric Hermione.

"It is all repeating itself!" Her eyes were wide, her hair even messier than usual.

"Wait, what is repeating itself?" Ron asked, confused.

"Here. It's all happening again!" She pulled a book out of her bag and held it towards them. The cover was well visible, the title written in golden ink. "The great muggle-wizard war" Ron read aloud.

"Hermione, that's part of the restricted section." Harry said surprised, when he saw the red dot at the bottom, marking it as a 'dangerous' text.

"Yes, it is!" She hissed.

"You stole it? My respect!" Ron complimented, at which she smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Ron turned red and stammered something about house points.

Great! Harry thought. Hermione seemed to be less anxious after having started to talk to them, but now Ron was out of realm of reasoning. "So what's all of this about?" He asked instead of dealing with Ron.

"It was a gigantic war between medieval muggles and wizards. It spanned half a century. Hogwarts was founded right in the middle of that conflict." She answered him with such speed that Harry asked himself whether or not she had rehearsed that line.

"And you're saying that this", he pointed at the book, "is all going to happen again?"

"Well, you didn't think all of the pure blood hatred for muggle borns came from nothing, did you?"

Harry admitted secretly to himself that he had never thought about that before. He had always believed that bigotry did not need any justification.

"As long as there are people like me, mudbloods as they like to call us," an angry expression crossed Hermione's face at the thought of that term, "there is a danger to both worlds. We have conflicting loyalties within us. One part of us wants to help the wizarding world, the other the muggles. Should there be a war, the side we put ourselves on will have an incredible advantage in knowledge over the other side. As long as there are people whose allegiance is wavering like ours, there is a chance of the muggles finding out of the wizards existence."

"That is no excuse for such hatred, Hermione! It's not like we wizards don't do a bunch of dangerous stuff as well; we've had to erase so many muggle memories that it is a miracle they still haven't found out." Ron exclaimed.

Hermione nodded slowly. "That is true, we don't deserve the blame. But if such a war began, we would still have to choose and be a target of both sides. Our information makes us to valuable to leave alone."

"But you don't need to choose, Hermione. You can be loyal to both worlds." Harry didn't want to leave his friend in any such struggle, no matter what for.

Hermione thoughtfully rubbed her cheek. "Should the statute of secrecy fail, what do you think would happen?"

Harry stopped at that, knowing the answer.

"War, most likely."

"Yes Harry, War. War on a scale so incomprehensible that both world wars would look like children's squabbles in comparison."

"But, how the hell do the Americans fit into this?" Ron asked perplexed, finally having regained his speech.

"They're the first wave. An infiltration of all wizarding institutions. The collection of knowledge. I looked it all up. CHB, these letters were infamous back then. Today, almost no one remembers that, the government dislikes it's usage. The men and women wearing that name where leaders, spies, warriors. They were the most dangerous to us wizards, having supernatural abilities and an affinity for magic. They were as strong as two grown men, quicker than a human could possibly be. They healed faster, screamed louder, they were the alphas of the human race. No one knows where they came from. They suddenly were just there. Fighting us."

Ron shuddered at the thought. "Superhumans, fighting against wizards? Why were none of them on our side?"

"Some were. Fewer, but strong in their own right".

The hairs of Harry's arms stood up straight. He had worse goosebumps than when having last met Voldemort, and that meant a lot. "Why don't we know? Why isn't this covered in history?"

"As I said, the government dislikes the topic. Partially to protect us muggleborns I guess. Partially to keep support from Voldemort and other anti-secrecy, fascist organisations. They do not want a recurrence of this." Hermione fell on a chair, seemingly exhausted by the gravity of their situation.

Ron, still thinking, asked slowly; "What were they called?"

Hermione, almost as if being ripped out of sleep, jerked upwards, but then relaxed. "Sorry, who'm do you mean?"

Ron gave her a concerned look. Hermione was seriously off after all this. "The Alphas on our side."

"Oh those. Their full names where also hidden behind Initials.

CJ."

**Percy:**

Classes that day had been extremely difficult. Just like the day before, he thought, moaning. Percy still wasn't sure whether or not he would survive a full year of this. With some regret he thought back to the Argo II. Even though back then they had had to constantly fight for their lives and save the world, at least he hadn't been buried under a pile of homework. Writing a last line on his parchment, he had the bad feeling that this was likely to give him a T, but he didn't bother rewriting the entire essay. Instead, he closed his book, left the piece of misery to dry and stood up to stretch.

Annabeth sat on the same couch as he had, a book in her hands. Leo was across the room, with his new mates Seamus, Neville and Dean. Percy smiled, happy for his friend. Once the outcast, the son of Hephaestus was one of the most popular kids at Hogwarts. However Percy was quite sure that the prank on the Slytherins had something to do with it, and that this hype would likely die down soon. He just hoped that Leo wouldn't take it too much to heart.

A few couches away from Leo, Nico sat with the Creevey brothers, as well as Kai. He looked as if he was enjoying himself, even laughing sometimes, and giving off a, for him at least, large share of jokes and anecdotes. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Kai's and Nicos knees were touching, the two sharing a couch. Colin suddenly looked at his watch and called out in surprise. It was late, Percy suddenly realised too. Colin, his brother and Kai stood up. Nico shook his head when they asked whether he'd go to bed too, even though his head was dropping and eyes half-closed.

Percy felt for the guy. He'd have to stay awake, whether he wanted to or not, due to Annabeth's insistence on a meeting that night. With fistbumps and handshakes the fifteen year olds wished each other goodnight, and moved towards the stairs. Kai threw one last glance over his shoulder towards Nico, which Percy was quite sure to be a longing one, before disappearing above.

Percy smirked, moving over to the now alone son of Hades. "Hey Neeks, mind if I join you?"

A grumble was all the answer he got.

"What did you say, you'd only let me sit next to you if I were shirtless?" He teased.

Nico turned red. "Fuck you!" He winked after a second. "Or fuck me…"

However, at Percy's raised eyebrow, he did move aside, so that Percy could sit next to him.

"Look, I know this really shouldn't be my place, but I think Kai likes you." Percy began, but was cut off by Nico mimicking his raised eyebrow from earlier.

Trying not to be irritated by Nico's smirk and the sliver of surprise he thought he'd seen in the Ghost King's eyes, he continued. "Is that feeling mutual?"

"And why should I tell you that?" Nico's smirk had now grown into a smile.

"Do I have to remove my shirt for that too?" Percy asked, hoping to get him just like before.

This time Nico flipped him off. "Shirt, pants AND underpants."

Percy grinned, and turned back to where his girlfriend was sitting. "Hey Annabeth, would you mind if-"

Nico moaned. "Alright, dumbass. Yes, that feeling is mutual."

"Well, why the hell aren't you asking him out yet?"

"Honestly, at the moment there's too much work to do. I want to sort the ghost problems out before getting into any relationship."

Ghost problems, yes that was definitely the right term for it, Percy thought. Three ghosts, all holding vital information they'd need to collect, and all a danger to the demigods.

"Well, as long as you aren't running from it."

"I'm not! I've got detention tomorrow, a bunch of homework to finish, thanks to Annabeth constant late night meetings and I also need to hunt and interrogate three ghosts. Where do you suppose I could fit a relationship into?"

"In here." Percy said, pointing at Nico's chest, right where his heart was. "See you during the meeting!" With that, he mock saluted the Ghost King and returned to his girlfriend.

**Ron:**

It was close to 1 in the morning when the last wizard left the common room. The Americans were still 'coincidentally' awake. Nico was the first to stand up. Man, that guy still gave Ron the creeps. Something about him was off. Of course, none of them could see him under Harry's invisibility cloak. He had been given the first watch. Normally, he would have complained, but this time around, he was too excited for that. He wanted to know what these spies were up to. Now, both Leo and Nico had joined Annabeth and Percy in a central ring of couches.

"Alright, I assume there are no more notes you made today?" The girl began.

Ron had to stop himself from drawing a sharp breath. So Hermione had been right. They _were_ spies.

No's filled the room as the others answered the question.

"Alright, then let's see if Leo's device works. I've tasked him to build an IM amplification, and from the short calls we tested here in Hogwarts, it seems to work."

Leo pulled forward a small machine, and turned a lever. A small waterfall began to cascade in an ever ongoing cycle. Annabeth threw in a tiny golden object and mumbled something too quiet for Ron to understand. Then, an image appeared.

Ron almost gasped. The image was moving, but is wasn't human. It was a centaur, and not only did it move, it also emitted sounds. Yes, they had paintings in hogwarts, moving paintings, but this was something else. It was supernatural.

"Greetings Chiron, we've gathered information and will be transmitting the documents shortly."

The centaurs face was grim and dirty. "Well, finally! You'd better get on with it."

After a short break, his head drooped slightly. "Clarisse is gone. Captured, we assume. Grover and a bunch of satyrs are looking for her. We've lost campers before to whatever is taking the Satyrs, but this… A trained head of a cabin, a daughter of Ares, it shouldn't be possible. We have deeply underestimated the situation."

The Americans were quiet. Then Percy spoke. "And there still hasn't been a Prophecy issued?"

"No." Chiron shook his head."Transmit the data, we will evaluate it at camp. Next conversation in three days, approximately same time. Camp HalfBlood over and out." With that, the image faded into nothingness.

Annabeth took a thick stack of notes, and pushed them into the machine. They evaporated, seemingly moving to camp, wherever that was.

"Clarisse… I can't believe it." Annabeth said, choked.

Percy pulled her into a hug. "We will find her. Grover, the Hunters, Tyson. I'm sure they're all already searching. And when we find whoever did it, they'll answer for this."

* * *

_Alright, some crazy stuff going on. hope you enjoyed the plot in this chapter, less banter, I know, but I needed to get this exposition in. I hope that wasn't too boring, but the muggle wizard war is really really important in this fanfic. For those interested, yes, there are quite a few fan theories about exactly that conflict and a bunch of hints in the actual novels, but it was never a 100% confirmed by Rowling or is a conflict to such a scale as it was here._

_Review reply:_

_When someone says they dont review much, but then drop 4 reviews on one story, that's probably the best compliment a story could receive, so thanks so much! No idea with the DMs, sometimes this website just doesn't work. No comment from me on angsty Nico, cuz that could be a big time spoiler based on my plans XD. Seriously, thanks! You're a huge motivator to get this story off the ground._

_Thanks also to all others that have read, followed and favourited!_

_Next chapter next week_

_Fives over and__ out._


	11. Chapter 11: Of Heartless and Heartfelt

**Author's Note:**

_Damn it, another short chapter. Well, as I said before, 2500 words is probably my normal length from now on, just a lot of work to do outside of writing. After a controversial and plot driven chapter last week, this is more character stuff. Hope you enjoy._

**Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Harry Potter or Percy Jackson_

* * *

**Nico:**

He woke up early, rather tired than refreshed, and made his way down into the great hall without waiting for either his demigod or mortal friends. While eating a sparse breakfast of milk and cereals, all he could think of where Percy's words last night. _Kai likes you. _

Nico was quite sure his heart had been beating at twice it's rate since that conversation. It had been hard enough not to yelp in surprise at Percy's words, or to storm up after Kai, but while his will power, which he, as a son of Hades, proudly claimed to be a fortress strength, might have been enough to keep any external signs of weakness at bay, it could not kill the butterflies within his stomach, nor extinguish the flame of hope that had arisen within his dark chest.

The others from his sleeping room just entered through the gigantic gate when he had already finished his food. His heart jumped even higher when he saw Kai in the group. _Cut it out _Nico told both his heart and himself. He couldn't deal with another slip up. Not after Percy.

This would have to end with something other than death, torture and drama, or he'd go insane. Well, more insane than he already was.

The others greeted him, still sleep drunken, and let themselves fall on the benches of the Gryffindor table. To Nicos delight Kai dropped next to him and gave him a slap on the back.

"How's it going?" He asked, his bleached hairs hanging wildly into his face.

"I'm as tired as you look." Nico answered, hoping that his voice sounded quite normal.

Kai laughed at that.

"Sorry for my hair, ain't making an impression with that I guess." With that he tucked into a sandwich, rendering the conversation somewhat impossible.

Nico's cheeks burnt. Colin, who had taken a seat across from him, raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Nico, as if by accident, checked his reflection in the spoon he had been using. God, he was blushing so hard! Nicos brain went into panic mode.

_He knows._

_So what?_

_Well what if he hates me for it?_

_He won't._

_How'd you know?_

_I just do._

Nico swore under his breath. His sister, or conscience, or whatever else was talking inside his head, was as useless as it always had been.

_Or as useful_

_Shut up!_

_You shut up!_

And then they both did, as Nico was sure he had almost gotten an heart attack. Kai had put his hand on Nico's knee.

"You're okay?" He asked, a deep frown on his forehead. Worry was written across his face.

Nico was sure he was blushing even worse now. "Yeah… Why?"

"You seem different today. Also, you're blushing real bad." At the last part, he widened the distance between their faces once again and smirked.

Nico raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help but smirk back. "Maybe I just don't like being touched."

"Oh." Kai said, the smirk painfully ripped of his face. "Sorry." With that, he pulled his hand of Nico's leg.

"Hah GAAAAY!" A high pitched voice screeched over the tables. Pansy Parkinson had her frog like face pulled together, as if a stinky sock had come under her nose. She lifted both middle fingers and pushed out her tongue.

Many Gryffindors threw pissed looks back, but most of the other students were simply curiously staring at the group of fourth graders. The fifteen year olds, Slytherins and Gryffindors alike withered under the looks and Colin, his smile wiped off, jerked his head towards the door. The five made their way out of the hall, leaving a half-eaten breakfast behind them.

**Leo:**

Leo was pissed. These Slytherins had no right, no damned right, and he was going to have them pay for all of it. In blood, or so he swore himself. In reality however he was pretty sure that Nico would want to deal with it alone.

Yes, teasing was part of highschool, but Leo knew Nico was a special case. Being born in the 1930s, all of this acceptance stuff was new to him. Heck, it had been Nico's half brothers that had gassed gays in Auschwitz for gods' sake. Obviously Di Angelo would have internalized all of those stereotypes and the self-hatred that came with it. The son of Hades had only recently stopped hiding his sexuality and Leo didn't want him to relapse into bad habits.

During transfiguration, he was able to vent his anger through a discussion with Seamus and Dean, of how to best humiliate Gryffindors Arch Enemy. While not exactly passionate for Nico's sake, the two Hogwarts students saw the insult as a stain on their houses honor, and intended to retaliate.

"What about using stink bombs?"

"Too nice, I thought you wanted them to suffer."

"Great, so we'll poison the lot of them, then? We'd be kicked out of school."

"To see that old damned pig choke on her own tongue until she passes out, I'd call that worth it." Leo said darkly.

"True that." Dean replied, laughing at the description.

For the rest of the class, the conversation turned in similar circles, as well as during the next two lessons, and lunch break.

All the Gryffindors of his grade were on fire, burning with a desire for revenge. All except for Harry, Hermione and Ron, who had said nothing on the issue. Leo did not think that they sided with the Slytherins, nor that they were religious fanatics, but there was something funny about it. Just like there was something funny about Hermione's cold, dead stares, where as earlier she had always blushed when their eyes had crossed.

The three where excitedly murmuring about something, but differing from the others, they kept to themselves, giving Leo the bad feeling that they weren't talking about revenge on Parkinson. One time, he thought, he had even heard the name Clarisse come up, but no, that couldn't be. No one is school knew of their Clarisse. Yes, it had to be someone else. By then Leo wasn't even sure if he had been right, if it had really been Clarisse, or if he had just heard Claire, or Lari and imagined the rest of the name.

It was of no use. Ripped between revenge and spying on the three wizards, his attention to school work was sorely lacking. He lost ten points from Gryffindor, after almost having hit Professor Flitwick with book through a summoning charm, and similarly, instead of shrinking a toad, increased it to twice it original size.

The day couldn't have gone worse. A load of homework had been given, two essays, the practice of summoning charms, and a drawing and labeling of a sub breed of especially aggressive bowtruckles. By the time he had unloaded his books in the common room, Nico had already headed to detention. _Man, poor kid!_ Leo thought before working through his personal hell of stacked papers.

**Harry:**

Thanks to Ron, they now knew more about these alphas, as he had started to call them, than they, or anyone else had ever known, according to the history books at least. And yet… The war had not been mentioned during the meeting, no comments or discussions overheard which would have found them guilty. And thus they had moved to plan B. Of course they would still shadow them during the night, but a second approach had been opened. Harry was to win Nico's trust during their detention together, and squeeze out every bit of information the unsuspecting American would be willing to give.

Not a plan Harry was a fan of, but he would do what he had to do. Or so he thought, when walking through the corridors towards Umbridge's office. But spy or not, Harry felt for Nico. The way Pancy had treated him hadn't been fair. Gay or not, Harry didn't care. No one should he subjected to that type of name calling for something as simple as sexuality. The dark haired, a little scary looking teen was waiting for him in front of the office.

"What are you waiting for?" Harry hissed. "Go in!"

Nico nodded and knocked.

"Come in." came the answer of doom.

Harry went in after Nico, daring a last anxious glance at the exchange student. He knew what the guy would have to go through, and he was even younger than Harry himself. He pitied the boy. But now wasn't the time for worrying about others, Harry quickly realised.

They had both taken a seat, and the sharp quill had ripped open his already slightly raw skin, the moment it touched parchment. He threw a quick glance across the room. Nico was already writing, showing no emotion, or pain, whatsoever. Had Umbridge given him a normal feather? But no, that wasn't the case, his hand was already shiny with blood trickles running down it's sides. For some reason, his writing utensil was even sharper than Harry's.

The minutes dragged by, only the sound of quills on parchment and the occasional bells of the school tower filled the monotony with a rhythm. It was eleven by the time they were allowed to leave, and Harry's respect for Di Angelo had grown drastically.

Not even a whimper had escaped the American's mouth throughout that torture session. Even now, he walked alongside Harry, his head held high, not a single complaint, even though the scars on his hand where much deeper than his.

"You okay?" Harry started, wishing he hadn't promised Hermione to collect some information from Nico.

Nico laughed at that. "Not really. But I wasn't that okay before this either," raising his hand "so it's alright. I've had much worse."

Much worse? Where the hell had that kid grown up?

"Regardless, she's still a bitch."

Di Angelo shrugged as if it was no big deal. "She likes pain."

Trying to change subject, he asked: "So you and Kai are dating now?" But Harry immediately saw that that had been the wrong question to ask. Nico's shoulders tensed, his voice hardened.

"I wish. by Tartarus, I wish." He muttered, but then threw his hands over his mouth, as if he had said to much.

But Harry saw nothing useful in that sentence either. He privately sighed and thought; sorry, Hermione.

"But he seems to like you, so why isn't it working out?"

Nico grumbled something about a misunderstanding.

"Well, then tell him how you feel about it. He'll come around."

Nico didn't reply.

**Nico:**

The last thing he had needed was a pep-talk from a wizard, he thought while climbing through the hole into the Gryffindor common room. The pain in his hand didn't faze him much, but the pain in his heart did. Today had been incredibly awkward. Their friends had tried to keep the mood, but Kai was not himself.

Was it a misunderstanding? Nico wasn't sure. Was he even ready for a relationship? That he was even less certain about. But even so, when he saw Kai dozing in an armchair, his heart skipped a beat. Next to him, Colin sat bent over, playing a match of wizard chess against Vince. Slowly, exhausted by the strenuous work in Umbridge's Office, he walked to them.

"Hey" he greeted lamely. He got a nod from Colin and a quick fist bump from Vince, before both returned to their game. Then, as if struck by lighting, Vince turned back towards Nico.

"Show me your hand." he demanded. Nico, knowing resistance was futile, showed him the half healed scars.

"Holy shit! I swear to god, I'll rip her throat out!"

"That bitch did not-"

"Yes she did, and we'll destroy her for it."

"Holy crap, calm down guys." Nico chuckled.

"What the hell is going on?" A sleepy Kai said, yawning. Then, with half closed eyes, he saw the wounds on Nico's hand.

"No way… That isn't-" He grabbed Nico's hand, staring at the leaking scars. Kai turned the hand this way, than that way, then suddenly, as if just remembering what had happened that morning, pulled away. Nico's hand tingled lightly.  
"Sorry. I know, no touching." He seemed pretty down when saying that.

Nico suddenly shook his head. "More touching" he grinned. He had made up his mind, pulling Kai into a long and passionate kiss. Kai's eyes were wide with shock, but he did not pull back. Instead he leaned into the kiss, putting his arms around Nico and only pulling away when the whistles and claps within the common room had turned into a hurricane. Nico looked over Kai's shoulder and saw Colin smiling warmly, Annabeth and Leo giving him thumbs up, Percy smirking. The twins were catcalling, and Dean's jaw had dropped.

**Percy**

Clarisse hung, head first, over a great fire, little green beings running around, singing gurutal songs. The fire grew, and grew, until it imploded and left behind an empty cityscape. Grover was running along a dark alleyway, the sound of bikes coming from behind him. The ground was wet with greasy rain, the sky furrowed with thunder. A spider dropped in front of him, he reeled back. The tiny thing grew, and grew, and grew, larger than the Satyr, then larger than a car, until having finally reached the size of a house. Grover turned, but he couldn't run. His feet were stuck in the oily substance that filled the street. He was slowly pulled downwards, black tentacles of the liquid reaching up for an ugly embrace.

"Help! Heeelp!" he screamed. "Percy, heeel-" He was abruptly cut off when the liquid filled his mouth, his ears and his eyes. The liquid exploded, and everything went dark, the only light source green and black mist, glowing in the night. A silhouette moved through the black. It was the ghost king. Nico looked older, gaunt. His leader jacket was ripped and blood-stained. His trousers black, and clad in armor. It was Nico, and then again it wasn't Nico. The usual gleam of mischief within his dark eyes had gone. His seldomly seen, but happy smile had been replaced with maniacal laughter. The reaper walked towards his cowering prey.

"Please, don't Nico, no!" The body on the floor, beaten and broken, wound itself into an upright position, so that light fell onto his bloodied face. It was Leo. "Please!" he moaned. WIth a swift strike Nico decapitated his former friend. The darkness ripped open, only to reveal a gigantic field, filled with tanks, and swords, and axes. The clouds were almost black, no sunlight to be seen. Screaming men lay upon the ground, wizards on brooms flew above. Blood pools filled with A roman testudo formation marched against men with machine guns, the bullets not penetrating the scutums of the ground shook, ripping open. Everything fell. Down, down, so deep that only one place could be the destination. Tartarus. And between the debris and the corpses, between the blood splatterings and mood encrusted weapons, flew two magicians, masters at their craft. Harry Potter, holding a white wand, duelling a man in black, floating, with slits as a nose and the eyes of a snake. Voldemort. And with that, Percy woke up. Sweat filled his bed, and his eyes leaked tears. He knew with appalling certainty that everything would end in darkness.

* * *

_Wow, I guess I've written a mostly Romance focused chapter. Well, trust me, this won't happen often, but I thought after all that exposition last week, some shipping might just be the right thing. _

_Hope you enjoyed that dream of Percy, now that I've gotten the rest of the story planned out I can write some fun foreshadowing. Don't take it all literal though, there are multiple levels of symbolism involved ;)._

_Thanks to all that follow and read this fic, you're what keeps me writing._

_Next chapter next week._

_Fives, over and out_


	12. Chapter 12: Confrontation

_**Author's note**:_

_Tell me in the review function if this is getting too much romance, I'm going somewhat away from that over the next few chapters anyways, but it would be really useful to know your opinion for that stuff after chapter 20 or so. Got the main plot written out, but I can always weave in a little more romance or remove some stuff depending on what you feel would work best._

_**Disclaimer:**__ If I owned Percy Jackson and/or Harry Potter, this would be canon, so luckily, I don't._

* * *

**Harry:**

He stood up early, not really refreshed, but for once happy to leave bed. He, Ron and Hermione would be holding war council before breakfast, and he was intent on finally putting the 'alphas' to the test. Last night, the Americans had all gone to bed, so that the three had not been able to gather any more information. However, they had grown restless, they would be confronting the 'alphas' rather sooner than later.

Carefully, as not to wake the others, Harry tip-toed to the door and out of the sleeping room. He rubbed his hands against each other; it was icy within the castle. He moved down the stairs, wrapping his uniform tightly around his body, with no success.

The wind had chilled him to the bones by the time he entered the common room. Hermione and Ron were already waiting, wrapped in blankets right next to the still gleaming fireplace. "Morning", Ron greeted him, unenthusiastically, trying to suppress a yawn.

"Alright, you're here, so let's start." Hermione, even in such early hours, acted all business like.

"Last night, you said Nico used Tartarus as a swear word. Well, I did some research, and Tartarus is the lowest level of the ancient greek hell."

"Ok…. So you're saying they're some sort of history fanatics?" Ron said, unimpressed.

"No, but it is weird, don't you think?" Hermione stood her ground.

"It kinda is…" Harry thought about Nico telling him that he had worse than Umbridge before and about the supposed powers he possessed.

"You guys did hear the rumors about Nico and the ghosts, right?" He asked his friends.

"Other than that he's gay?" Ron said, an for him unusual evil smirk on his lips.

"No, what rumors? Shouldn't you have told us that the moment you heard them?" Hermione ignored Ron and instead starred accusingly at Harry, who suddenly felt the need to defend himself.

"I thought you knew. Some people are saying that the ghosts fear him, others that they actually serve at his command. It's probably all nonsense anyways."

"I've always said there was something off with him!" Ron said, eager to hate on the guy he had previously admitted to finding quite scary.

"If that is the case, than Di Angelo has some through magic unexplainable powers." Hermione said slowly, frowning in thought.

"But what could he be? A god or what?" Ron laughed at his own question.

"No, but in greek mythology there where…" She didn't finish her sentence and rather went off on another tangent. "What if it were all real? Troja, Perseus, the Argonauts, the gods, What if they existed?"

"You sure you haven't gotten a few screws loose Hermione?" Ron asked, perplexed.

"Well, there's only one way we could find out." Harry said, hoping to defuse the argument before it would erupt and end in another drama. Silence filled the room for what felt like an eternity. Then Hermione spoke up, breaking the spell.

"Confronting them?"Her face spoke books. She wasn't a fan of the idea.

"Hell yeah, confronting them." Harry agreed, nodding determined.

**Nico**

He opened his eyes to the blinding light of the early autumn sun, blinking wildy to adjust his vision. He looked over at Kai, whose bed was across from Nico's, having allowed the two to hold hands while falling asleep. But obviously at some point during the night their hands had detached, for now his boyfriend's, man that still sounded weird, arm was hanging down, his fingers touching the floor. Kai's face was turned towards him, his hair a mess, but he looked cute while a sleep. Nico smiled.

_Hah, my brother is smiling!_

_Oh shut up Bianca_

_You haven't smiled like that since my death, so at least give me this little piece of joy_

He sighed at that. His sister was right. He hadn't.

_I still can't believe it. My little brother, in a relationship. After all our siblings did…_

_Ok, now it's enough, shut up. You don't have to bring the World War II guilt back_

_Alright, Alright, but I'm so excited!_

_The dead shouldn't be excited, and neither should my conscience._

Nico said, deciding that he had to pull a line somewhere. The voice in his head turned quiet. He returned his attention to the still sleeping Kai, watching him sleep. He was almost inclined to cuddle up next to him. Almost.

As if having been disturbed my Nico's penetrating look, Kai slowly opened his eyes and moaned.

"It's too early. Let us sleep." He said, without opening his eyes.

Colin, seemingly already awake, laughed at that. Nico could hear the rustling of the robes as he dressed for the day. He withstood the wish to peak and instead focused on unrolling from his blanket and putting on his CHB shirt. While topless, Kai stared at him, his mouth slightly open. Nico blushed and raised an eyebrow. His boyfriend smirked but averted his gaze.

Once they were all dressed, they headed to the great hall together, joking and goofing around. The morning would be filled with short lessons, and no Umbridge or Snape for the entire day, so all of them were quite optimistic. Similarly, the pats on the back and gratulations by the other demigods and even some older Gryffindors made Nico's heart another touch lighter. During breakfast, he and Kai held hands. The day seemed great. Until-

"Nico! We've got some stuff to discuss!" Annabeth had come over, brimming with energy, likely planning another exhausting sub-mission.

He sighed deeply. He knew he couldn't take Kai with him, but he really didn't want to have their first breakfast together ruined by the daughter of Athena. Food was holy. Especially when eaten with friends or loved ones. That was one of the few things he had willingly learnt from Leo.

Nico hesitated for a moment, unsure of himself, but then gave Kai a peck on the cheek before following Annabeth out of the hall.

Outside, she turned around.

"And why exactly do you need me?" Nico asked while rolling his eyes.

She frowned. "I'm happy that you're dating a cute guy, but that doesn't mean that we don't have a mission to fulfill."

"Hey, first of all, calling him just cute is a serious offense, he's bloody hot!" Nico said smirking.

This time, it was Percy's girlfriend that rolled her eyes. "Well, spare yourself your second point and you'll be able to return to a hot guy soon enough. I assume hot is acceptable? I don't have to say bloody hot, do I?"

"Much better", Nico replied smirking.

"Good." She was all back to business. "We need to confront the Bloody Baron as soon as possible, so we'd better start planning this shit, or Chiron will make us regret it."

**Percy:**

Percy had to talk to Annabeth. However, during breakfast, she had been so focused on the Bloody Baron and her plan for getting him to talk that he hadn't wanted to distract her. But this couldn't wait much longer. After a quick and quiet lesson of potions theory, they had a double period of charms, and the son of Poseidon took his chance.

"Annabeth!" He hissed, trying to get her focus of the text she was studying intently. The other students were already practicing the spell described within.

She turned her head to him, hissing back: "What is it?"

"You know how we all didn't have any of our slightly prophetic dreams here in Hogwarts?"

She nodded. It had disturbed her at first, Percy knew.

"Well, I had one anyways, yesterday, and it was much clearer than they usually are."

His girlfriend's eyes flared up with alarm.

"But you're okay?" she asked, a note of fear ringing with her voice. Percy knew Annabeth was thinking of the camper that had once dreamt so deeply that the wounds he had gotten in his dreams had physically appeared on his body.

"Yes, of course I am. But it's bad, really bad. Demigods fighting mortals and mortals fighting wizards, and wizards fighting demigods. Our friends were killing each other! Death everywhere. And it starts with, well I think it starts with Grover." he got that last part out only after a moment of choking on the words, as if saying them out loud would make the situation more real for the Satyr.

Annabeth's frown intensified. "That's bad. Real bad. We've got to talk to Chiron and the others."

**Nico:**

Charms homework was murder. 12 inches of parchment, due tomorrow, and he had only finished 3. The library was crowded with students doing their last minute homework. It was late afternoon; classes were over, and the blue sky was slowly fading into darkness. A cold breeze blew through the castle. The candles and lanterns flickered, creating broken shadows on the wall. But the ghost king was not afraid of shadows, he controlled them after all; nor did the cold trouble him much.

All Nico wanted was to catch some sleep. With Annabeth's late meetings, he was unlikely to get much during the night, and he was exhausted from the entirety of the week. So much had happened: the Hogwarts express, the Bloody Baron, Kai… What Nico really needed was some peace; some time to reflect. Most importantly however, some time to spend with his first ever boyfriend.

_Damn, that still sounds so wrong. _But the essay wouldn't write itself. He pulled all his willpower together, and put his quill back on the parchment. The minutes went by, and over time, the library was abandoned by the other students. Nico checked the clock on the wall. _fuuuuck, already eight?!_ He still had four inches to go. The parchment sat there, ink staring back at him.

Nico drew in a sharp breath. A hand had just fallen on his shoulder. He turned around slowly, and then realized he was only inches away from Kai's face. The wizard grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek. Nico was almost disappointed that it hadn't been on his mouth. Almost. "Crap, still working on Flitwicks homework?!" Kai exclaimed, quite obviously surprised. Truth was, with the typical demigod ADHD and dyslexia, Nico was much slower than all his classmates when it came to writing. Kai picked up Nico's parchment and paced back and forth.

"You struggling finding more to write about?" he asked the ghost king when he had returned the essay. Nico nodded, hoping not to seem stupid.

_Stop worrying! Bianca chimed in._

_Shut up!_

"Alright, well you haven't mentioned yet that the charm is dependant on the diagonal movement of your wand being at around a 70 degree angle to the previous horizontal line drawn with its tip. You could also add how the espedir spell was originally developed to cure epilepsy instead, but failed catastrophically at that." Kai said, with so much sincerity and good will that Nico couldn't turn him down. Usually he hated help of any kind, but he guessed trust was vital in any relationship. It was okay to show weakness. Sometimes at least.

"Thanks!" he replied with a quick smile and then scribbled on, now at twice the speed. Who would have known a boyfriend to be such a motivating factor? At last, he dropped his quill. "Done." he sighed.

Kai, who had been staring out of the window stood up and stretched. "Great! Then let's get moving. I really want to show you something." His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.

So much so that Nico, who had felt dead just seconds before, realised a tingle of energy was rising within his body. This tingle turned into an all out flame when Kai grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out of the library. Something about their fingers touching felt right. All had gone so fast that Nico hadn't even had time to collect his stuff. Later he thought. Later. Now the mystery was rather where Kai was taking him. Somewhere more… private? The thought of full on making out with his boyfriend made him blush.

The two passed through what felt like dozens of corridors. By the time Kai stopped, they must have half-walked half-run for around fifteen minutes. Kai was breathing heavily. Obviously the ghost king was in better condition.

"Still no panting yet?" Kai asked, surprised. "I wonder what those legs must look like without pants." He winked.

Nico laughed. "The amount of times you peek when I change? I'm pretty sure you've gotten my entire body memorised."

"Exactly. Still can't get enough of it." Kai teased, giving Nico another quick kiss. This one was straight on the mouth though. It was a dry kiss, no tongues or so involved, and over within seconds. Still, the son of Hades savoured every bit of it.

"Step back." the wizard warned, and he tapped twice at the wall, mumbling something Nico couldn't make out. The wall turned into a door. He threw a questioning look at his boyfriend. Kai made a "you first", gesture, and Nico pulled at the handle. His jaw dropped at what he saw within.

The room was amazing. Gigantic; at least the size of the fifth graders' bedroom within the tower, and the roof high above Nico's head, turning in spirals towards a small light source. What made it special however wasn't its size, but rather its content. Large shelves covered the walls. Boxes, spray cans, bottles of paint, brushes and numerous objects the Ghost King had not the slightest chance of identifying were stacked on the shelves, the floor and the tables.

Both the surfaces behind the cupboards and the few that had nothing in front of them were filled with graffiti. A stereo stood on one of the tables and two couches filled the space in front of a beamer. What was coolest however was the back wall; it was open; leading into a grand hall filled with boxes, bowls, roll ins and wedge ramps; in short; the perfect skate park. It was bloody impressive.

_Stop gushing and start a conversation. Bianca advised. _For once Nico followed her orders.

"Soooo, this is where you guys hang out?" Nico asked, still holding Kai's hand.

Kai smiled at him, eyes glowing. "No, that's where we're hanging out. Well, if you like it that is" He added quickly, throwing a worried glance in Nico's direction.

There was nothing to worry about though, for Nico loved the place. "If I like it? You seriously ask me if I like this?" He asked in disbelief.

Kai's eyebrows narrowed with worry. It seemed he had wanted to show this place to the son of Hades for quite some time. He had really hoped that the american would enjoy it.

Nico laughed at the misunderstanding. "I love it you dumbass!" he assured him.

Kai's expression did a backflip, a frown turning into a maniacal smile. He pulled Nico into a sudden hug. They kissed; an actual, long, full on kiss, and Nico slowly pushed his hand beneath Kai's T-shirt. His boyfriend's skin was warm and soft. He could feel Kai grinning into his lips. Nico parted their mouths and stared into the Gryffindors eyes. For once he was happy. Life was good.

**Annabeth:**

Night had fallen The common room was almost empty. Annabeth's feet were tingling. Soon she thought, soon. They'd have to act quickly. Discuss Percy's vision, inform Chiron, and go over their plan for the Bloody Baron one last time. All before midnight, or in a few days they'd pass out from exhaustion. The entire week they had only gotten three hours of sleep a day, maybe four if they were lucky. Such feats couldn't be upheld over any prolonged period of time. Not without destroying their attention to detail and alertness, and as long as they were in what could only be considered to be hostile territory, they couldn't have enough of either.

Her head was leaning on Percy's shoulder, her hand in his. They had finished homework a while ago, all that was left to do was wait. The last few students left, a few mulling drops of a leaking water bottle. She stood up, stretching. The room was empty, only the demigods were left.

"Alright, let us begin." she said, Nico and Leo both moaning.

"Yes, Let us begin." A familiar voice replied from behind them.

Annabeth almost jumped at the ceiling, Leo toppled backwards off the couch. Nico shadow travel across the common room, sword drawn. The couch behind her had fallen; Percy had stood up with such might that he had thrown it over. His hand held Anaklysmos. Within a second, the pen had turned into a sword.

Hermione ripped a cloak off, revealing her, Harry and Ron standing between the painting of the fat lady and the four demigods.

"How long have you been spying on us?!" Nico questioned, angrily. His sword was barely and inch from Hermione's throat.

"Back off!" Harry growled, his wand pointed at the Ghost King.

"I could slit her throat before you said a letter." He said, smirking at the useless piece of wood that was aimed at him.

Ron now pointed his wand at Nico too; "I swear by god, should you harm her-"

But he broke of, startled. Leo had pulled out a hammer from his tool belt. His hands and upper body were burning, his shirt already fallen to ashes. He looked like a demon from hell.

"Wait! Stop it. If we were to fight, half this tower would collapse on top of us! You really want to be responsible for so many dead students?" Annabeth had raised her hands in alarm.

Her presence had a calming effect, Percy lowered his weapon, followed by Harry. Leo extinguished his hands and his hammer fell to the floor. Nico, still not trusting the wizards, pulled away his sword, but stept back only a little. Ron, last of the seven, pointed the wand, instead of lowering it, at the ceiling.

"it isn't like you'd care! Your kind has killed more wizards than all dark lords combined."

"We have what?" Percy asked confused.

"You murdered us. Hunted us for sport. You're the enemy!"

"Well, unless we were brainwashed and don't remember any of it, I guess not." Percy replied, his face distorted in anger and sarcasm.

"CHB, those are the letters of wizards greatest enemy, right after Vol-Voldemort." Ron continued.

"Look, we don't want you any harm." Annabeth intervened, hoping to extinguish the conflict before it turned into an actual fight.

"How do we now?" Harry jumped in.

"This happened eight hundred years ago. They might have erased their histories. Just like we did ours." Hermione said quietly.

"What happened eight hundred years ago?" Nico asked, confused.

"A war between your kind, whatever you are, muggles and wizards."

Annabeth threw a look at Percy. That had been his dream. But it hadn't taken place eight hundred years ago. It had been a war with modern weapons, tanks, machine guns, and demigod swords. She shuddered at the thought.

"We are not here to repeat that." Annabeth said determined.

"There is only one way we can be sure about that." Hermione replied, now icy. "An Unbreakable vow."

* * *

_Hope you liked this chapter. Some plot, some romance, I think we're moving the story along quite nicely. _

_Review reply:_

_Sorry, I know Solangelo is many peoples OTP, but back when writing that next chapter I had only one person give me their opinion, and so I went with that, keeping the OC romance. You where a little too late. But trust me, this is going to be a long fic, so anything is possible down the line. Hope you enjoyed this story anyways._

_Next chapter, next sunday_

_Fives, signing out_


	13. Chapter 13: Interrogation

_**Author's note:**_

_Hell yeah, this chapter was fun to write! No one used the review function to complain about the romance side of things, so I just rolled with it to some extent in this chapter. Not the main focus tho, don't worry. With this chapter I am also hitting 30,000 words in this fanfic. I never thought I would make it this far, thanks to ya'll for inspiring me to keep writing!_

_Disclaimer: The perfection that is Harry Potter and Percy Jackson do not belong to me, but rather to their wonderful (and kinda inactive) authors Riordan and Rowling._

* * *

**Percy**

"Wait, what the fuck is that?" Percy asked startled.

"It is a vow that makes sure you die should you ever break it." Hermione responded, her voice harsh, like rocks rubbing against each other.

"We won't give you one, in that case." Percy's answer was final. They weren't planning on killing any of the wizards, at least not at the moment, but stuff like that could change any second. He was not going to give them a blank cheque for being able to attack the four without fear of retaliation.

"You'll have to." Harry seemed determined to push the initiative. "We give you three options; either you tell us the truth, - the full truth" he added with a stern look at Annabeth, ", or you give us an unbreakable vow, or we'll take you to Dumbledore, right here and now."

Nico raised his sword an inch, his eyes gleaming with ice. "You've forgot the fourth option, kill all of you. Here and now."

"Nico, stop it!" Percy interfered. The kid of Hades was just now, as pretty much in an dangerous situation, overly prepared for violence. And even if that weren't to be changeable, he at least shouldn't spew around these threats during such a delicate situation.

"We cannot give you the information you seek." Annabeth broke the silence.

"Why?!" Ron's face was distorted with disbelief.

""We cannot tell you that either." Annabeth sighed.

Ron opened his mouth, but Hermione quickly interceded. "Then give us the vow."

"And why in Zeus' name should we do that?" Nico was radiating ghostly swaths of mist, his eyes having gained a slight green gleam. Bones were protruding through the floor of the common room, human ones.

Ron, at the sight of the demigods supernatural visage and even more so by the mounds of corpses he was standing upon, took two steps back and raised his wand.

Nico lifted his sword into a high guard, ready to rush in. Harry's lips were curled, as if he was preparing a spell. Percy knew it was over. There was no other way out. They would fight to the death. He slowly removed the cap from his pen. The sword grew out of his hand.

Percy's lips turned into a twitchy smirk. Then he sighed. "And I just started to like you."

With that, he attacked.

-and was immediately ripped back by the piercing scream of "STOOOP!". He turned around, surprised. It had been his girlfriend.

Annabeth stood there, her blonde hair falling wildly upon her shoulders. In that moment, she truly looked like a goddess, like her mother.

"I'll do it. I'm leading the mission, so it should be me, just me. I'll give you an unbreakable vow, and the gods be damned."

The others were startled. Nico stopped a few inches short of splitting Harry's head in two, Leo was still on fire, but had frozen in place. Harry was staring wide eyed at the sword, that was looming over his nose.

Hermione was the only one unfazed. "That will do." she said, brightly, if a little high pitched. "Annabeth, Harry, grab each others forearms."

They did as they were told, Harry still shaking. The witch raised her wand over their grip.

A few seconds later, it was all done.

The next morning, Percy woke from a dream free sleep, but angry at god and the world. His girlfriend had run an incredible risk, and he hadn't been able to save her. Where they ever honorbound to fight the wizards, Annabeth would die. Immediately. The son of Poseidon shook with rage at the thought. He was not known for holding grudges, but that, he would never forget nor forgive.

Breakfast was a dull affair. Annabeth was quiet, Leo was almost falling asleep over his pancakes and Nico was sitting off to the side with Colin and Kai. Katie Bell and the other Quidditch enthusiasts were the only ones that made that first meal interesting. The Chudley Cannons were seemingly a common topic at the table. Holy crap, Percy thought, remembering that he had promised to participate within the tryouts on friday. During classes he held his girlfriend's hand to give her whatever comfort she might find through such a gesture. She was off- she didn't, or maybe couldn't, pay attention during class, moved her lips as if mumbling to herself and shook her head, deep in thought.

Thus, during all of lunch, Percy debated with himself whether or not he should let her go to take on the Bloody Baron or not. But in the end, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and left, all his words of protest having choked up his throat, he had not gotten one off.

**Leo:**

The conflict between the demigods and wizards had not been quiet. So Leo realised when a boring charms-lesson was filled up by Dean's and Seamus' conversation. They hadn't overheard what had been said, nor who had been speaking. But most Gryffindors had heard voices, screams, some swore spells had been cast. The last one was obviously a lie, but it made the son of Hephaestus uncomfortable. If so many students had realised that something was going on, how could he be sure that no one had overheard enough to guess the truth? He did not blame the wizards, exactly. If he had been in their shoes, he would probably have done the same thing, but it was indisputably inconvenient for their mission. "You still sure you haven't heard anything?" Seamus asked Leo for the third time that hour.

"Yes, I am. Please stop asking!" Leo hissed back, while Professor Flitwick passed infront of their table.

"Common, you must have heard something! You're always up so late."

Leo almost blushed in fear. "Yes, well I was in bed before any of that happened, and seemingly slept through the noise."

"Well, alright. But you seriously need to train some lighter sleep. Else you'll miss all the excitement!" Dean said, his eyes gleaming.

Leo just sighed in response.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Seamus mumbled, and Leo's american pen flew over into his hands.

"Ha! It's mine!"

"Oh, fuck off." Leo said, smirking, and caught the tool as it was tossed back at him.

**Nico:**

Kai knew he had been involved in the conflict down in the common room. Nico was certain of it. Everybody knew that there had been some sort of fight, but Kai, he knew more. And still, he did not speak. Instead, everything went normal. Well, as normal as it could be if you were wizards, demigods and in your first relationship.

During the first class, transfiguration, Nico was at a loss. For the first time in his few days at Hogwarts, there had come a task which he had not done the necessary preparation for to complete. He muddled through it, until Kai turned over to him and raised an eyebrow.

"You know what you're doing?"

"No." Nico replied disgruntled.

Kai thought about it for a moment. "Do you know the locomotor spell?"

"Yes?" Nico answered, confused.

"Well, it's like that only-" And thus his boyfriend went off in a description of the wand movement which, while it certainly illuminated some areas, overall confused the son of Hades even more.

Kai realised soon enough and laughed. "Look, I can't explain it quickly enough in the lesson, we can go to the library during break tho"

"Hell yeah!" Nico replied.

"From my understanding, Hell yeah is not part of the spell you are supposed to perform." Professor Flitwick had come up behind them, shocking both of them to bits.

"No Professor. I'm sorry Professor." Nico replied automatically. The small wizard nodded and turned away.

"Holy crap, I thought you'd get detention for that!" Colin exclaimed, laughing as they made their way down the corridors, to their next class, potions.

"Snape would have, but Flitwick's a good guy." Kai said, grinning. The hour in the dungeons went better than expected. Afterwards however, Nico was ravenous, and before lunch, they'd have another lesson to go.

"Anyone got some food with them? Not sure I'll survive till lunch." He asked the others, as soon as Snape had dismissed them.

"I mean, I'm always a snack." Kai said, winking.

"I'm hungry, Kai, not horny." Nico replied, trying to keep his face dead serious. By the amount of laughter that spilled from his friends mouths, he was doing quite a bad job at it.

"Hi hungry, I'm Kai." his boyfriend winked.

The banter continued for a while.

"Ahhh stop, the jokes are killing me." Colin groaned, while wiping a tear from his eye.

"You aren't crying because of that, are you?" Vince teased.

"Noooo, clearly because I'm gay and so into Kai that my heart breaks everytime I see him with Nico." Colin answered, irony running deep into the sentence.

However, the fun stopped there. They stood in front of the classroom for Defense against the Dark Arts, and the devil was waiting inside.

The amount of homework Umbridge had given them was unbelievable. Nico was sure he'd spend at least five hours on it, and all was due by next monday. Angry at the Professor, the biggest light was the food he'd now finally be able to get. But even then the gods decided to screw him over. The food was unbearably hot, and the students had to wait at least another few minutes before they could risk taking a bite. Nico heard Malfoy complain about house-elves, drawing up cruel punishment. While usually the son of Hades would have kicked Malfoy's ass for being a douche, he didn't care for now.

The food was a fight of will power, those wonderful chicken wings in front of him, and the pommes spread across the plate… Needless to say, it was a battle Nico lost. While the others were patiently waiting for their food to cool down, he snatched a wing and tore into it. He almost spit out. It burnt like hell, and he knew how hell felt like. The others laughed at his expression. Kai gave the son of Hades a glass filled with water. He gulped down the cool liquid and then gasped for air.

"Hot! way to hot!" he gasped, between two large gulps of water.

"Oh common! You're hot, and I still eat you after all." Kai said, smirking and thumping him on the back.

Nico blushed worse than he could ever remember blushing.

Both Kai's comment and Nico's facial expression was too much for the others. They cackled away, doubling over in laughter. Even after the load of homework given by Umbridge, Nico was sure he had not had such an enjoyable day since the party celebrating Leo's return to camp Halfblood.

Yet he must have jinxed it, for at that moment, Annabeth came over. She threw an interested look at the others, before saying to Nico: "It's time."

"I know." He replied, sighing. The son of Hades stood up, gave Kai a quick kiss and followed Annabeth across the great hall.

**Annabeth:**

"You know the drill." Annabeth told Nico. "We're going down there, confront him together, and solve this mystery once and for all."

She had a bad feeling about it… But then again, she had had a bad feeling about everything since having given the Unbreakable Vow. As if every step she took was only carrying her closer to a predetermined fate. As if all of it was just driving her into a fight with the three wizards. Cold air brushed over their faces as the two rushed down the staircase to the dungeon. The freezing temperature bit through their skin, chilling them to the bones. She was certain the temperature hadn't been so low before lunch. They needed to hurry. Something was wrong.

Down in the lowest levels, the Bloody Baron wasn't to be seen. They searched the columns, and corridors, the empty classrooms, but the ghost seemed to have disappeared into thin air. A shudder ran through Annabeth's spine. "We'll have to go looking somewhere else."

Nico agreed to that proposal. But as they were making their way back to the staircase, the air in front of them glimmered.

"You searched for me." The voice was cold, rasping metal on ice.

The Bloody Baron looked much more composed than Nico had described him last time. His robes where still in disarray, blood was still splattered over his clothes and skin, but he did not sob, nor wheep, in fact, he did not show any emotion at all.

"Why?" was all he asked.

"We need the information." Annabeth replied, taken aback by his direct inquiry.

Now, the ghost did wail. "There is a reason the past is hidden! There is a reason dreams are lost and shrouded in the wheels of time! Yes, there is a reason for all of that and more, so tell me, why? Why should I break my oath, why should you need such vile stories of the past?"

"We were sent by Chiron. To find out why so many Satyrs and Demigods are disappearing lately." Nico stepped in, his own harshness for once being of use.

"Oh, but Chiron he knew, he gave his consent. But YOU! Traitors, mudbloods, all of you, leave before the Eternals find you! Leave before all you have left is ruin and death." The mad gleam within the eyes of the Baron scared the daughter of Athena.

And with that, the Bloody Baron disappeared into the darkness of the wall.

* * *

_Thank you for reading! I think this was quite a balanced chapter, and it definetly moved the story along, so I'm happy. Write what you think about it using the review function below. Thanks to all those that are following, have favourited or reviewed! This wouldn't exist without you._

_Next chapter next sunday_

_Fives over and out_


	14. Chapter 14: Eternals

_**Author's note:**_

_Hi there! Thanks if you're reading this. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm really excited that this project is going somewhere._

_**Disclaimer: **__I am not 50+ years old, so no; I do not own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter _*sob

* * *

**Annabeth**

"Why can't I control him?" Nico asked her, steaming with anger as they made their way back up to the great hall.

"I don't know…" Annabeth replied, deep in thought. The baron had once again warned of the Eternals, and more importantly, he knew Chiron. That was bad, real bad, especially combined with their Dreams.

"But, there are other ghosts we suspect, right? Couldn't we question Nick, or Binns? Both of them respect you."

The Ghost King nodded slowly. "You're right. We can interrogate both of them."

Annabeth almost smiled. Maybe they would be able to solve this after all. "Let's search for Nick."

It took them only a few minutes to find the Gryffindor ghost within an unused classroom of the second floor.

The pale figure was not happy to see them.

"What do you want from me, my lord?" He asked in his usual hoarse voice.

"Ask you about how you know about demigods." Nico replied commandingly. His eyes shone with dangerous determination.

Nick shrunk under the look. "Siiiir, are you sure that I should tell you?"

"Yes!" Nico's voice had turned forcefull, a hint of violent intent hidden within.

"Well, all the dead know of your father, Hades, but-" and here he stopped again.

Annabeth was impressed by the ghost's will power. Usually ghosts gave Nico whatever he wanted, without him having to ask twice. It had been the right decision to take the son of Hades along, she was sure that without him, none of the dead would have been as compliant as they had been.

Nico, unfazed by the rebellious figure, stared at him, his eyes suddenly glowing in hell fire, his skin giving off a green light. Annabeth's eyes widened. She had not known that Nico could create such an aura. Another point to add to her list about confusing things of Nico di Angelo.

"Alright, alright!" Nick exclaimed, his face even more ashen than usual. "For us wizards, you know, us old ones, you weren't hidden. We knew of your sort, of demigods and gods, of monsters and titans. It was a short while after my death, a few decades at the most, when everything changed. A spell was put over all living wizards, to forget your kind. Our worlds were separated. No wizards would visit your camps, no demigods our schools. Who created the spell, I do not dare to assume, for it was magic too powerful for even Dumbledore himself." He coughed importantly.

"Wait, Ron said something similar. That we're the enemy. Why were we your enemy tho?" Nico asked confused.

However, for not having wanted to tell them anything at all in the first place, Nick was no so enthralled in his own story that he only stared at Nico with contempt and said: "I am not done yet, you may ask later. After the spell, some wizards had not been affected. Us ghosts are a good example of that. Others found out once again, by having friends of the opposite group, or meeting them by pure luck. And then… they came. Obliviating wizards and killing demigods, on whom the spell did not work, a group of butchers made their way through our worlds. For hundreds of years, they made sure that we would not mix. Why they haven't killed you yet I cannot figure out."

Annabeth's heart raced. Where the monsters at King's Cross involved with this? Had they been sent to annihilate them? Were they in mortal danger? For the first time, she spoke to the ghost herself. "Who?"

"I am sorry, I do not know. But… it is whispered that the Eternals are behind it."

"WHAT?" Asked Nico and Annabeth in union.

This was bad. A second ghost had warned them of the Eternals.

With that, the bells rang. Break was over.

Annabeth raced to her next class. She had to tell Percy. And that fast. Nico had promised he'd find Leo, but he'd need to hurry.

They had been in danger all this time. Without knowing it, they had balanced at the edge of destruction.

The daughter of Athena remembered Nico's last words before they had parted: _Nick lied. Whatever role they play, he knew about the Eternals. _They'd have to be ready when they came. If possible, meet up and warn Chiron. And most importantly, not split up during the night. They'd sleep in the common room, with two people on watch all the time. Or so she planned.

And then she found Percy. Thank god he was alright! He chuckled when she jumped into a hug, almost ramming him over. Annabeth looked into his eyes and knew, everything would be alright.

She shook her head. He needed to know, and he needed to know now. Lifting her lips to his ear, she told him.

His eyebrows raised millimeter by millimeter, and by the time she had finished her story, his face was a wild mixture of surprise, fear and anger. "We've got to go. This mission was doomed from the start. I will NOT let any of you be harmed simply because we are going up against something we do not understand."

It was cute how much he worried for them, but Annabeth shook her head in dismay. Her boyfriend hadn't grasped the seriousness of the situation. "Chiron knows. If the Eternals are as thorough as we think they are, the entire camp is in danger." She shook him, wanting him to understand.

Desperation suddenly lit his face. "So your saying the Satyrs, Clarisse, all of them were taken out by the Eternals?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Holy shit." Her boyfriend leaned against the wall, as if needing support. As if this had ripped out the last of his willpower. As if the Eternals had finished what Tartarus had started. But that was only a moment. After a second, he was back to being himself.  
"What do we do?" Percy asked, his voice just a hint of shaky.

With that Annabeth told him her plan.

**Nico:**

This was bad. No, it wasn't bad, it was deadly. _Don't over dramatise! _Bianca entered his mind. _Shut up! _Nico screamed internally, while running through the corridors.

In search of Leo, he did not care about the staring students, nor about the teachers calling after him. He needed to find the son of Hephaestus, and that fast. If the monsters of Kings Cross were truly followers of the Eternals, it wasn't imaginable what types of horror they might send after them next. Kai stood in one of the corners, with Colin and Vince, but he'd have to wait. Leo's life came first.

He found the mechanic only a few minutes later, working on homework, helped by-

"Hermione?! What the fuck are you doing here?" Nico couldn't understand the world anymore. A wizard that had threatened them, almost fought against them, was now helping Leo with his homework?

The two jerked upwards, confused as much as Nico was. No matter, he thought. "Leo, I've got to talk to you."

"But-" Leo protested, and Nico decided there was no time to waste. Instead of listening, he packed his friend by his shirt and dragged him out of the library.

"We're in mortal danger!" he whispered.

Leo's eyes widened, his tirade stopped mid sentence. "What?"

"The Eternals. They're after us. After us all."

By the time they were done, Leo had to go to his next lesson, and so did Nico. Grabbing his ring, which could turn into a sword in a single moment, he quickly made his way over to transfiguration. His thoughts were clouded in darkness. They'd have to fight today. He was certain of it. And if his previous opponent at Kings Cross was anything to go by, they'd die. Nico wasn't sure he could take it. Seeing his new friends, demigods and wizards alike, fade into nothingness. A single tear trickled down his cheek. His mother, Bianca and- But no, he couldn't think about that now. If he did, he'd probably have a mental break down, and that wouldn't help his friends. This was one of the disadvantages of his new life. Before, there had been little which could hurt him. Now, that he was once again part of a bunch of friendships, he would be ripped apart if half of them died.

Nico turned the corner, and there stood Kai, seemingly waiting for him. Nico's heart jumped. He was happier than he ever could have imagined seeing that guy's face. He took the last steps between them in a sprint and pulled Kai into a bear hug. Kai, while surprised, did not pull away. Instead, he seemed to feel Nico's internal turmoil and gently laid his arms around him, giving the son of Hades comfort within the embrace.

Nico calmed down, and after what felt like an eternity of bliss, moved apart and looked up into those deep green eyes. Kai frowned in worry. His fingers brushed against Nico's cheek where the tear had left its mark. Nico quickly lifted his hand to stop Kai from retracting. It felt surprisingly soothing to be touched. Especially by Kai.

"You alright?" The boy whispered.

"Not really." Nico replied, hugging him a second time.

Kai didn't question the Italian further, instead he just held him, his strong arms around Nico's slim body giving the boy a feeling of protection.

"I Love you, ok?" Nico said, hoarsely.

Kai gave a small smile. "I love you too. Really, I love you too."

**Percy:**

Annabeth had told him everything. He wasn't scared, and that was what troubled him. Their plan was simple. Stay together until they could contact Chiron and all the while act as normal as possible. Great. Cause that was going to work out. he moaned at the thought.

Acting normal. That meant he'd have to play Quidditch tryouts this afternoon. On the other hand, it was friday, so that did also mean that finally the wizards and demigods alike would have a break from classes.

Annabeth was jumpy throughout history. Not that Percy blamed her. They had no idea what they were up against.

In the afternoon, they met up with Leo, Nico having slipped out of the common-room towards his last detention, not without giving Kai a hearty goodbye kiss. The kid seemed down, the Eternals where troubling his nerves as well. Percy was happy for Nico, after all he'd been through he deserved a real relationship, but he was seriously scared about the shipping should the Aphrodite kids ever get their hands on the two. If even Annabeth thought they were a cute couple, he didn't want to know how the children of the love goddess would feel.

"Don't worry, Kai seems like a cool dude." Leo said, misreading Percy's worried expression.

Instead of correcting him however, the son of Poseidon instead decided to change topics.

"You guys think the Eternals are watching us right now?"

"I don't know. But it would be really creepy, wouldn't it?" Annabeth said, shivering.

Percy laid his arm around her. "Don't worry. together they ain't getting us. I'd rather be afraid for Nico, he's alone in detention after all."

Quidditch was interesting to say the least. Percy was lucky; a natural talent on a broom. He had been able to keep up with the flying of the others even though this was his first time flying. He just hoped Zeus wasn't interested in blowing him out of the sky.

Angelina Johnson, the supposedly new captain, talked with the authority of a much more experienced player. The way Leo had turned red the last time she'd looked over- Percy was sure the mechanic was crushing on her.

After the basic flying test had weeded out the weakest, Johnson called out: Alright! Let's start with the real thing. See who's the best in the rings. Mason, you're first!"

A scrawny kid flew in front of the three hoops, high above the ground. Katie Bell took aim. She shot the Quaffle with such force that it knocked straight through the block of poor Mason's hands and into the left ring. None of the following went better for him.

Two other Gryffindors failed, then Angelina said: "Jackson, you're next. Let's see how Americans play Quidditch."

With a bad tingle within his stomach, Percy moved in to defend the goals. Johnson herself was racing towards him; 15 meters, ten meters… The ball was whizzing towards him at the speed of a cannonball. He stretched out his arms. It was the left side-

WHAM

His hands were numb with pain. He had blocked it!

Nine shots later he landed back on the ground. Percy felt as if a great weight had fallen from his shoulders. He hadn't been amazing, but he had won the respect of the other wizards, and that was vital for their mission. "That was half bad!" Katie had called after him, and Fred had given him a thumbs up. He almost smiled when remembering.

By now, the next keeper was being tested, already half through with his shots. Percy was rushed at by Annabeth, Leo, and surprisingly Dean, Neville and Seamus who had joined Leo in the middle of the practice.

"Holy Crap, that was good!"

"Especially for an American!"

Back in the common room, the three demigods waited anxiously for Nico. As soon as the room was empty and the son of Hades had returned they would contact Chiron.

Annabeth was dozing within Percy's arms, but he could feel her tense muscles. By eleven, she was wide awake and pacing the room. "We'd better check on him, even if Umbridge unleashed hell upon all of us." She said finally.

As if it had been a signal, the door opened and Harry and Nico stepped through the hole behind the Fat Lady. Annabeth hugged him, even though he tried to pull away.

"Common. Leave me alone." he complained.

Annabeth smirked. "Oh, I forgot. Only hot guys are allowed to hug you."

Nico laughed at that. "Yep, you've got it."

The Common Room was still filled with celebratory Gryffindors; Ron had become Keeper. Thus Percy wasn't surprised when Annabeth signalled him to follow her. He tapped Leo on the arm and together they climbed out of the Gryffindor tower.

In the corridor, the four took their chance.

Annabeth threw up a Drachme and mumbled into the little machine Leo had built: "Please, Iris, take this humble gift and show us Chiron!"

And they all stocked. Time seemed to have been lost. Unblinking, the four were staring at the image that was presenting itself to them.

The cascading water in which the picture was created had blurred the details, but that did not in any way reduce the pain it gave Percy.

It was as if his heart had been ripped out, for his home had been destroyed.

The buildings were thrashed into shreds, corpses lay upon the ground, whose none of them could tell. Blood was everywhere. Broken weapons and pieces of discarded armor where lying about, and the worst- Everything was on fire. the huts, the fields, even the corpses, they were all burning.

A tornado of flames was raging across Camp Halfblood.

Percy looked up and saw his friends' pupils reflecting the dancing lights of hell.

* * *

_Hell yeah! This was great fun to write, finally some tension. Thanks to all that sticked with me for now more than 30 thousand words, this is a wonderful journey for me (and hopefully for you too XD)_

_If you enjoyed it, leave a review or follow, it does really motivate me to keep going._

_Next chapter next sunday_

_Fives over and out_


	15. Chapter 15: End of an Era

_**Author's note:**_

_Last chapter we saw that CHB was destroyed. Wanna hear how that came to be? Well, here's a chapter bout how that happened plus the emidiate aftermath, so enjoy! I know this isn't a long chapter, but it took quite some time to write, cause it's very different from anything I've written in the past. This is getting dark, so if you don't like brutal scenes, turn around now. Some secrets are best left untold ;)_

_Just for your info, the stuff in italics is flashbacks, so were jumping back and forth between Malcolm (normal writing) in the present and Grover (italics) in the past._

_**Disclaimer: **__Neither Riordan nor Rowling would include such dark imagery in their books, so no, I'm not them and don't own any of this._

* * *

**Malcolm**

They unceremoniously buried Nyssa that morning. They couldn't burn the body. Neither could they provide a death cloth. The carcass had already started to rot, there had been no time for sewing one. Instead, the stinking pile of meat had been dumped in a ditch and then covered with earth through their shovels.

They were seven by now. Seven from fifty campers. The Stolls had died the previous day, so had little Harley, a boy of eleven. Juniper had died with Nyssa, but her body had disappeared. As any nymph's body would. As many had done over the last days. The sun stood low, it's beams mocking them. They were too far away to warm the chilly afternoon.

**Grover**

_Most campers had been murdered in their sleep. The hut of poseidon burned. The hut of hephaistos lay in ruins. Only the hut of ares was still standing. _

_Michael, the new Cabin head, was leading the defensive. A few Apollo kids that had made it to the bastion and where shooting at the dark silhouettes that where rushing past. Children of Ares armed with spears protected the entrance and sides, the barbed wire and trenches giving them cover. In moments, they'd be overrun. _

_Grover chose to ignore their stubborn last stand, and instead rushed towards the Big House. If he could save Chiron, then maybe… He tripped and looked down: his foot had bumped against a corpse. Brown eyes were staring up at him. Meaningless, emotionless. It was a girl, but her body was so mutilated that Grover could not say who it had been. He moved on. Blood was splattered over the veranda, chopped off limbs entangled on the floor. _

_Grover pushed against the door and sprang inside. What he had seen outside paled in comparison to this view. Chiron was sprawled out across the floor. His feet missing, his legs crushed, he spat blood. "NOOOO!" Grover screamed, all the anger and fear being ripped out of him through this long and terrible sound. Chiron looked up. His face was swollen, one eye black. His nose had been broken thrice. He gave the Satyr one last, sad smile. _

_Then, a shadow stepped forward. Everything turned slow-motion. Grover could see every detail he had previously missed. The beast had no mouth, but gaping holes, covered partially by glossy shards of cloth. His eyes where splintered and black, his coat drenched in blood. He slowly lifted his rotten hands and removed his hood, letting it fall back. Long, greasy hair fell upon his shoulders. _

_A small knife was pulled out of a pocket. _

_He lifted it to Chiron's throat. _

_One moan from the trainer. _

_One cut. Then, spurts of blood. _

_Seconds later, it was all over. _

_Grover turned and ran._

**Malcolm**

A fire wasn't possible, and blankets were weighing them down too much to be carried. They had made camp on a hillside, by now they were close to New York. That was their destination. What then?

They didn't know. Malcolm, their newly elected leader, didn't know. Maybe they could reach Camp Jupiter. Or they'd try to reach Hogwarts- But no, Malcom and Percy had discussed this already; they'd be more in danger there than anywhere else.

Nico was with them at least. He'd shadow travelled over the moment after the first battle. He was a beast, taking out the enemy wherever he went. And Annabeth was coordinating their efforts from school; Leo had a plan, and Percy was helping him. But whatever they were working on, they'd need to hurry. If they didn't, they might not find any Campers alive to safe.

Malcolm felt nothing at the thought of their fate though. He felt no joy, no fear, no sadness. Just empty and numb. By the 20th dead friend, you had gotten used to it he supposed. They'd be back on the march in an hour. The son of Athena knew he needed some sleep, but he was convinced that he'd not be able to. He lay down anyways, and closed his eyes. Within seconds, he was gone.

**Grover**

_Grover came out of the building just in time to witness Ares last stand after all. The dark creatures had rushed in graciously. An Apollo kid had been strangled to death, three children of Ares impaled. _

_But Michael was still fighting, and so was his sister, Jeina. They flung their blades in union, dancing a deadly ritual against shadows. For a moment, they seemed undefeatable. One silhouette fell, then the next, then a third. _

_Grover was sure to see, for the first time that night, fear within the enemy. Then, with one terrible rattling sound, Jeina fell. A spear had stabbed her through the chest. She coughed blood once. Then she was still. Michael screamed in rage, lashing out against her killer. _

_His body now shone red, the blessing of Ares. He chopped his opponent into two, then rammed the tip of his xiphos deep into the head of another. The monster stumbled backwards, and with him, Michael's weapon. He had lost his sword, his shield having been broken much earlier. _

_Defenseless, he was stabbed from three sides at once. Then, one of the grim figures took a step forward and decapitated him. The head rolled down, into one of the trenches, the body held upright by the spears within. _

_Grover, who had forgotten to run, was ripped out of his trance. He jumped up, and made his escape towards the woods. The sounds of battle behind him grew quieter- and then it was still. Camp Half Blood had been slaughtered._

**Malcolm**

Malcolm woke up to quiet discussion. He knew the others were hoping that some campers had survived and just run off without returning. Michael wasn't so sure about that. Even if there had been some the first day after the fighting… The Eternals, as they supposedly were called, had been relentless.

Originally, the demigods had escaped in twos and threes. The first night, the last hours after the slaughter, had been the worst. They had heard them, how they searched the woods, every bush, every tree. Sometimes they had heard the screams when one had been found. The screams, and the deadly silence that followed.

By morning, the Eternals had disappeared, but everyone knew; they'd be back.

The camp was burned to the ground. The survivors had met there, fifteen scared demigods surrounded by nothing but ruins and charred corpses. That's when Nico had joined them, a small light in the dark. They had not buried the dead. They had run.

By now, of these sixteen warriors, seven were left, the rest proof to the constant search and war that broke out every time the sun went down. Grover, Malcolm remembered. Percy had asked if Grover lived. Malcolm had told him that he had likely died. Another casualty.

**Grover**

_The forest was dark. pitch black, to be exact. Grover ran through the trees anyways, using all his senses to dodge the trunks. By the time first light blinked over the leaves, he was panting desperately for air, ready to collapse. _

_He was sure he'd run more than 20 miles in those few hours. The forest was calm. No sound could be heard, except for a bird whispering and the lonely scrapping of a fox, walking slowly across the path the Satyr was taking. _

_A twig snapped. Grover spun around. A man stood behind him, a bowler on his head. short cut, black hair covered his head. A small stick was pointed at the Satyr. _

_Grover tried to dash, but it was hopeless. _

_With loud BANGs four more mortals appeared around him. _

_"Who, who are you?" Grover asked, scrambling from one corner to the other, trying to dislodge them. He knew they were wizards, heck, they had appeared out of literally nowhere, but why would they appear here? And why would they threaten him? At least they were nothing like the ghosts, silhouettes, whatever they were._

_The man he'd seen first answered with a booming voice. "We are the Eternals, and YOU are under arrest."_

* * *

_Soooo, end of an era both in the way of an atmosphere shift and the destruction of Camp Halfblood. But dont worry, there'll still be some banter etc._

_This was definitely fun to write. Do you like the grimmer way this story is going? I promise, next week is another chapter with our usual heroes, but this was quite important, Malcolm and Grover will be POV characters from now on. Told you it'd get dark ;). _

_Also, Eternals are having some twists here… So they werent responsible for the attack on camp halfblood? Or are they Wizards AND ghostly monsters? Stay tuned to find that one out._

_Thanks so much for the review! Honestly, I was really asking myself if people were still reading, so this was a real motivational boost!_

_Next chapter, real 2500 words one, next sunday_

_Fives signing out_


	16. A very Demigod Christmas!

**Authors note: (new after edit)**

_Ok, so I guess I'll use this chapter as an Author's update. An really important one, so please stick with me here. Originally, this was me explaining why I hadn't uploaded for months and where the story would go. All the chapters until here have** finally been edited**, puh. This is only my first rework tho; there's another one to come once I have finally gotten a Beta reader and discussed the plot as well as the language with them. _

_Secondly, thanks for sticking around till here. The destruction of CHB is actually the real inciting incident of the story, so you can guess how long this will get if I ever have the time to finish it. If there's stuff that annoys you, or stuff that you want more of, please leave a review. If I don't know what you like I cannot serve you, and although the basic outline is done I can always add and subtract romance, or action or whatever in order to fit my readers interests. _

The chapters from now on are not just a little darker, but also haven't been reworked yet, so I'm not really happy with them. Even after the edits however, the basic story of them will still be the same, so you can read them if you want. As I promised in the intro of chapter 1, I have both supper funny and fluffy and super dark aspects to this story. The following will be** very dark**. However, this will all be over by chapter 21, so you really only have to survive another 4 chapters of slaughter, fighting and possibly main characters being injured or killed ;)

_ I kinda left you on a cliff-hanger last time, with a bunch of questions unanswered, so a sneak peak of the next chapter is right here:_

* * *

Their new headquarters at Hogwarts was impressive. Annabeth had decided that it was time to use the chamber she had read about. The chamber she had heard about.

The dark and gloomy, but gigantic hall was just what they needed. The corpse of a basilisk was still rotting, laying stretched out across the floor. The statue of Salazar Slytherin was staring down at the demigods, his eyes almost gleaming with frustration. The chamber of secrets had been reopened. By demigods.

Already the hall had gained a half-blood flair. Annabeth had confiscated the feet of the statue, situating her planing tables, scrolls and the Iris messaging machine there. The eastern wall had been turned into the armoury. Leo had pulled out as many weapons, pieces of armour and tools for their repair as his magical belt would allow, and neatly stacked them up, ordered and well oiled, not a rust stain to be seen. What was most impressive however was the gigantic construction attached to the ceiling. It was a wooden mess, surrounding a gigantic, almost unidentifiable central skeleton of a ship. Walkways connected the different parts. Buckets filled with nails and entire tables and benches stacked with tools were standing below, covering the majority of the chambers floor. Hammering could be heard from above. A cyclops was attaching the first planks to the outside hull, each reinforced by stripes of celestial bronze. "Hey brother, could you pass me some more of the nails?" He asked, his voice raspy.

Percy was already walking up the ramparts, carrying two large buckets filled with them. He was sweaty and tired, but hurried nonetheless; his brother was working at such a speed that he used up the nails and wood faster than Percy could bring them. They were lucky to have Tyson, very lucky.

Annabeth sighed in frustration once more. She had been trying to gather as many of their allies as possible, plan a coordinated rescue mission. But these damned hunters were unreachable! She kicked a table close by, and instantly regretted it. Now not only her head was throbbing in pain, but also her foot. The quick jabs of agony slowly residing, she threw another drachme into the machine. It felt like she had done it a thousand times. "Iris, please please, Please! show me the hunters of Artemis." Annabeth begged. And then-

"Thalia?!"

A punk-rock girl was standing in front of her, the short hair in spikes, the leather jacket ripped and filled with patches of bands Annabeth hadn't even heard of. The eyes of Thalia where as blue and cold as ever, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards at seeing her childhood friend. After a short, but comfortable, almost nostalgic silence, she said:

"It's good to see you."

* * *

_So yep, you've guessed it, over the next few chapters, it is "the heroes round up their friends to defeat the big baddy" type story. But- this time, they're not trying to win, theire just trying to save as many of the campers as possible. Some more explanations of the circumstances will be given with the rest of this chapter this Sunday. If youre still reading this, my utmost thanks! And yes, the fanservice (Tyson, Thalia, Chamber of Secrets) isn't just fanservice but also plot. At least I think so XD. Or maybe a present for an apology. A lame one, but as you have read the rest of my work you're used to lame sh*t already lol._

_Merry Christmas! _

_Fives over and out._


	17. Chapter 17: The Hunted

**Chapter 17: The calm before the storm**

**Authors note:**

_Alright, for me its monday morning, half an hour after midnight actually, so sorry that this came out kinda late, but it's a 1500 words more than I usually write (granted, 400 words of those are the sneak peak from last chapter). This is probably the darkest, most fighting oriented chapter yet, and probably for a while too. Won't be able to get much darker than that. The fight scenes where a pain in the ass to write, so I hope they're all right for you guys. I have quite some knowledge on historical longsword fencing, so I drew on that to make it realistic, but obviously I had to keep it grounded in a somewhat understandable language and emotionally engaging as well, and I am certainly not sure if I achieve that. Hope you enjoy!_

**Disclaimer: **_None. of. this. belongs. to me._

* * *

**Nico:**

Two more nights. Two more nights, or so Leo had said. Then his little project would be ready, then they'd all be safe. Then… if a then existed. Nico moaned. His back was sore and probably all blue, his arms covered in bandages, blood seeping through. They had found Will Solace and Theo Rakham the other day, equalling out the casualties they had sustained during the night. They were thus still seven, eight with him. Eight against a few dozen shadows, which, until now, only stygian Iron could kill. That at least was a light. Knowing that they COULD be killed. On the other hand, it meant that he had to do most of the fighting.

_"Then why don't you ask Hades for more weapons? You know that the whole 'only a child of hades can carry stygian iron' myth is bullshit." _Nico's conscience intruded.

_So I'll just walk in, and be like; Dad, I need some more of that really precious type of sword to save some people I don't really know. Oh, and btw, most of them probs hate you. __I'm sure its no big deal, right? Not like their parents hate you too XD. __I'm sure it would work. He'd give an entire armoury worth of that stuff, and add in a skeleton legion just for fun. _

"_HEY, dont get sarcastic with me young brother!"_

Nico sniggered. _"Look, you're literally my subconscience, at the most its me thats bossing you around. Don't reverse the roles here."_

His imaginary sister shut up at that. Nico had the bad feeling that he wouldn't hear again from her for quite some time. He looked up, gazing over their camp. The large trees surrounding them offered at least some protection from the biting wind. The fires burnt brightly, the work of their last hephaestus kid. Weapons lay strewn across the clearing. Spears and axes lent against the trees, swords were scattered next to their sleeping owners. The exhausted demigods were not in the shape to organize it any neater. Those that weren't on guard, or like Solace fixing up the wounded, were lying on the floor, so quiet and unmoving they could have been mistaken for dead. Nectar and Ambrosia had run out a day ago. Shadow Travelling had become so difficult- some magic of the Eternals Nico assumed- that should he collect supplies, he would be knocked out cold for at least a week. For that same reason the other three demigods from hogwarts weren't here. They did all they could from the distance though, Nico wasn't blaming them for any of this. He heard a rustling of leaves behind him, and turned around.

Malcolm stood there. He could have looked better. A nasty gash was open on his forehead, blood slowly trickling down and missing his left eye by millimeters. His eyes were underlined by dark shadows, and his cheeks dusty. His fatty hair hung dully down, almost to the tip of his nose, some stuck in the wound.

"It is time." was all he said.

Nico turned back. He was right. the sun had almost reached the horizon; the orange gleem a hellish inferno. Nico grabbed for his necklace, a skull. He pried it open, to look at the picture inside. A picture of Kai. A sad smile crossed his lips as he closed the amulet.

The Ghost King pulled his sword. The black blade reflected the firish light of the sun, a dark gleam, as if the weapon was covered in blood. He gave out a piercing scream, not from this earth. A challenge the son of Death gave every night. A challenge to the shadows, to come and try kill him.

It did give away his position, it also however inspired the other demigods. Ripped out of their sleep, they grabbed their bows, spears and swords and howled at the rising moon. As long as Nico was alive, they new, the shadows would get what they deserved. And the only thing they deserved was Death.

**Harry:**

Harry was lying wide awake within his bed. Where the hell where the americans? They hadn't shown up, not since friday night.

No one had seen them. No one had really noticed, or cared on the weekend, but by tuesday morning, even the teachers had been seen exchanging worried glances.

Well, "nobody cared" wasn't strictly speaking true. Kai had been pestering all the Gryffindor students, since saturday morning already. He was clearly sick with worry. By monday, he had been all pale, sleep deprived and seemed at quite the loss of what to do. Before that, Harry hadn't been sure about the relationship between the british and Nico. It had all seemed so rushed. But after that weekend it was clear Kai did love him. It was sweet, but Harry was even more conflicted by that. He wasn't supposed to find a possible enemy sweet.

Nico, Percy, all of them. They all smelled like trouble. Even after that unbreakable vow between Annabeth and him, he, Ron and Hermione had kept spying on them. All the time, except friday night. And now the americans were gone. But none of their stuff seemed to be missing. Their clothes, their school supplies, all of it was still here.

Tomorrow, when no one was there, he and Ron would search through Leo's trunk. Maybe they'd find a clue on what the four where doing. With that positive thought he fell asleep.

**Nico:**

It felt as if the sun had gone down centuries ago. Their arms were heavy from the fighting, their knees weak from pain. Nico was running, Malcolm and Will shortly behind him. Four of the beasts were on their heels. The son of Apollo was panting, slowly falling back. Nicos face was grimier than ever; he had face-planted when stumbling over a root in the darkness. The Shadows got closer and closer. Nico felt the cold air on his neck. Cold Air. It always surrounded the monsters, wherever they went.

The darkness around the halfbloods was pure. Not a light was to be seen. The eternals however were darker, a pitch black, pulling them in. Only their godly senses kept the three from running straight into the tree trunks. "Hurry!" A voice called out in front of them. Nico put on another burst of speed.

"ssssshhhhh" he heard as the arrow whizzed past him. The hoarse ratter behind the demigods was enough for him to realize an Eternal had been hit. Three more arrows flew across the clearing, each reaching their target. The ghost king dared a look back, but without slowing down in his run. All four of the black silhouettes had arrows stuck within their heads- right between their eyes. And all four lifted their hands in union, grabbing the shafts and, as if in slow motion, pulling them out millimeter by millimeter. But no blood came. Only dark mist. A black sand that trickled out, over their shredded robes and down onto the ground. Nico's head snapped around as someone touched his shoulder. Still running at full force, he stumbled when coming to a halt.

It was Theo; bow in hand he grinned at the ghost king. Nico took the leisure of catching his breath for a few seconds. The shadows would need almost half a minute to regenerate fully. Theo slung the bow over his shoulder and pulled Nico with him. They ran down a steep hill. While healing, it seemed that the Eternals could not use their senses. If they were lucky, they'd be able to hide until the four had passed.

"There is a valley down there, protected by high cliffs and overhanging rocks. Its a shortcut. If we take that route we'll be safer, and come out at the rendezvous-point early."

Theo whispered.

Nico nodded, impressed by both Theo's night vision and his knowledge of the terrain. By now, the ghost king deeply regretted that he had spent so little time at camp Halfblood. All of the others knew the hills and rivers of this land much better than he did. It mattered less and less as they got further away from camp, but Theo had been one of the few that had extensively explored all of the territory between New York and the camp.

Quietly, the two where now huddled against a rock at the bottom of the crevasse. They could see the shadows moving above them, hissing. The holes where their eyes should have been had a slight red glow. Maybe Nico imagined it, but their feet looked like those of crows. He shivered. The cold moon was slowly rising to the height of its cycle, giving all of the forest a slight blue gleam. Nico held his breath. He doubted that he and Theo were convincing rocks within this light. A moment passed, then two. The shadows moved out of sight, a ghastly mass of smoke and darkness, limbs moving so fast they where almost impossible to identify.

The two stayed in cover for another few seconds. Then they stood up, and slowly jogged down the valley, Nico's sword gleaming blue in the moonlight.

During their first night they had realised that what they needed was maneuverability, not a defendable camp. Stakes, mounds, even fire, the Eternals just passed right through these sorts of blockades. Thus, staying in one place was not an option. This was where the horses they had stolen from the farm came in handy. They had three in total, but as they were only eight demigods, that meant that almost half of their forces were cavalry. Nico thanked all the gods for that. The shadows where fast. But not as fast as the horses, or a child of death.

As every night, it had started with a hunt. The Eternals appeared in two or threes, spread out over what seemed like four square kilometers around the half-bloods exact location. Nico was the one with the most experience; he was therefore, together with Annabeth, the one that was responsible for their overall strategy, one which seemed to work quite well.

The demigods had determined their rendezvous point, and then started to run. First as a group, with scouts on either side, the front and the back. Nico's scream had pulled all of the shadows towards him, and he wasn't with the group. As the only one who could kill them, he had higher chances to survive alone, and could thus be used as bait. As soon as the Eternals found that he was just a ruse, they would of course start searching the forest. And at some point, they would see the demigods, and scream. A long, raspy scream. A scream to let all the other shadows know where the demigods were hiding at. The half-bloods would first of all "kill" (well, incapacitate for 30 seconds) those shadows that had found them and then split into smaller groups, running, hiding, running, hiding.

This night, all had gone smoothly. Not even one of the scouts had been killed during the first skirmish, and the breaking apart had been as orderly done as one could imagine, within the pitch black forest and with enemies all around.

The archers had the horses. They would ride in front of their companions, stop; shoot down shadows which were following the other demigods and once the eternals had come close, ride off again. This strategy worked wonders, and gave both those running and the horses some respite. Nico had joined Malcolm and Will a few minutes after the group had separated. He had been tired, having killed five of the shadows already. Now, with Theo, the Ghost King was sure this night would be a full success. No one dead yet, as far as he knew, a record, he thought grimly. Slowly, the valley turned back upwards, and the two got slower while climbing the steep rise. There it was! The large oak tree, high on a hill, maybe 400 meters in front of them. The rendezvous point; the first of two.

At around the half mark of the night, the demigods usually met somewhere, they would count how many had survived, bandage each other up properly, report any new details or weaknesses within the enemy's strategy they had found. Usually, they would be able to rest for a few minutes, drink some water. The archers, less tired, would stay a few hundred meters off; shooting at the often already approaching eternals. Then, the running would continue. Until morning, after which they would meet at the second rendezvous point, the shadows only a dark memory. The large oak tree was bluish in the light; and looked like a beacon of safety to Nico. 200 meters, a hundred meters, ten meters…

Theo and the Ghost King had made it to the tree and the rocks surrounding it, offering them a good defensive position, one which even the Eternals couldn't cross easily. Theo took an arrow out of his quiver, climbing on his rock. Slowly, he skimmed the area, searching for approaching shadows. From the lack of movement, Nico assumed that Theo could see none. It seemed that the shortcut had worked. The shadows were far away.

"Nico, I think I see Will and Malcolm running towards us. And that's Kira and Michael. And over there… We're complete! No one died!" Theo said, happily, his large smile clearly visible even in the dark. And then-  
All went cold. the demigods' breaths turned into small clouds of smoke. Nico shivered. The shadows were already here.

**At Hogwarts:**

Their new headquarters at Hogwarts was impressive. Annabeth had decided that it was time to use the chamber she had read about. The chamber she had heard about. The dark and gloomy, but gigantic hall was just what they needed. The corpse of a basilisk still lay stretched out across its floor. The statue of Salazar Slytherin was staring down at the demigods, his eyes almost burning with frustration. The chamber of secrets had been reopened. By demigods.

Already the hall had gained a half-blood flair. Annabeth had confiscated the feet of the statue, situating her planing tables, scrolls and the Iris messaging machine there. The eastern wall had been turned into the armoury. Leo had pulled out as many weapons, pieces of armour and tools for their repair as his magical belt would allow, and neatly stacked them up, ordered and well oiled, not a rust stain to be seen. What was most impressive however was the gigantic construction attached to the ceiling. It was a wooden something, surrounding a gigantic, almost unidentifiable central skeleton of a ship. Walkways connected the different parts. Buckets filled with nails and entire tables and benches stacked with tools were standing below, covering the majority of the chambers floor. Hammering could be heard from above. A cyclops was attaching the first planks to the outside hull, each reinforced by stripes of celestial bronze. "Hey brother, could you pass me some more of the nails?" He asked, his voice raspy.

Percy was already walking up the ramparts, carrying two large buckets filled with them. He was sweaty and tired, but hurried nonetheless; his brother was working at such a speed that he used up the nails and wood faster than Percy could bring them. They were lucky to have Tyson, very lucky.

Annabeth sighed in frustration once more. These damned hunters were unreachable! She kicked a table close by, and instantly regretted it. Now not only her head was throbbing in pain, but also her foot. The quick jabs of agony slowly residing, she threw another drachme into the machine. It felt like she had done it a thousand times. "Iris, please please, Please! show me the hunters of Artemis." Annabeth begged. And then-

"Thalia?!"

A punk-rock girl was standing in front of her, the short hair in spikes, the leather jacket ripped and filled with patches of bands Annabeth hadn't even heard of. The eyes of Thalia were as blue and cold as ever, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards at seeing her childhood friend. After a short, but comfortable, almost nostalgic silence, she said:

"It's good to see you."

**Nico:**

He turned around, horror struck. 12 Eternals stood behind him, black blades drawn. They made no sound, nor movement. Their shredded cloaks hung down, flattering, as if in a breeze. But there was no breeze. The air was calm. Calmer than it had been all night, and indescribably cold.

Nico shivered. Ice had covered the small puddles of rainwater in front of him. Frost was glinting in the moonlight. One of the the 12 opened the gaping hole, where his mouth should have been, but no sound came out. But as if the others had heard him, they advanced at once. Slowly, one step at a time, their blades held in front of their faces, the tip to the sky, as if in prayer.  
"THEO! RUN!" Nico screamed, and at once the calm was broken. The wind howled again, the coldness became bearable. The ghost king pulled his sword and raised his hand. Half a dozen skeletons clambered out of the ground. Theo, not having followed Nico's order, shot at the eternal that had screamed. The shadow lifted a hand, and the arrow bounced off it.

Theo gasped, but shot a second arrow straight at his opponents face. This time, the eternal caught the arrow in mid air, throwing it back at the archer, who barely dodged it.

"I said, RUN!" Nico ordered a second time, and now Theo listened. He jumped from rock to rock and then clambered down, in the direction where Nico was assuming Will and Malcom where coming from. A snap of the Ghost Kings fingers was enough of a sign for the skeletons to attack. They charged the black clad figures, and so did he.

Nico's high guard worked; drawing in the first of the shadows he deflected the attackers strike easily, following up with a quick stab to his opponents face. The Eternal screeched, like rusty metal plates rubbing against each other over and over again. The black figure slowly evaporated into nothingness.

However, the ghost king saw none of that. Instead of waiting for the other shadows to surround him, he followed up with two distinct slashes, driving another ghost backwards. Already, a third had reached him. However, the shadows were no match for the experienced swordsman. A Krumphau and two follow ups later that Eternal had vanished as well. Three down, nine to go, Nico thought grimly. By now, his skeletons were dead. All six of them together had only been able to kill one of the shadows, dragging him down to the depths of Tartarus.

The other Eternals were circling him, trying to find an opening in his guard. But luckily, he had been able to fight his way through to the oak, standing with his back to the tree. The silhouettes stopped in their tracks. Now unmoving, they seemed to stare at him. As easily as one without eyes could stare. Nico's eyes on the other hand darted from one shadow to the next, searching for an opening. He was in perfect control; still no panting, and despite the long running beforehand, his blade was still, his lower guard perfect. He had to buy the others time. Nico hoped Theo had warned them, and that they would be running off as fast as possible. Maybe he could hold the eternals off for long enough for the demigods to be save during the rest of the night. A few quick strikes and he could probably break through their ranks and make a run for it. He'd get out after all. He'd be able to see Kai. At that, his heart jumped. And then fell into an abyss.

Ten more of the Eternals appeared, slowly gliding over the large boulders that surrounded the oak. It was those ten that had hunted the others. Nico could only hope that this meant the other demigods would be free from pursuit. 19 vs 1. The odds were impossible. With those numbers there was no way he could fight his way out either. Shadow Travelling was impossible; their magic had already been woven over the entire forest. Now, with so many at one place, he doubted he could even walk into a shadow, not even thinking about appearing out of another.

It was over. And they seemed to know it, for they made no move to attack. They just stood there, feeding from his despair.

Nico fell back, leaning heavily on the tree. It was too much. His life, the people he had cared about, flashed before his eyes. His sister Bianca as she protected, taught and scolded him, Percy the first time he had seen him, standing on that cliff, his hair ruffed by the wind, his father, the sister he had saved, Hazel- Kai. Nico held the image of that boy for seconds. His smile, his wonderful eyes, the way his lips had tasted during their first kiss. A single tear trickled down the Ghost Kings cheek. He knew he had had a good life. A life with hardship, yes. But a life with meaning, with family and friends, with love. A full life.

He was ready to go.

And whispering a last "you know I loved you, Kai" into the air, sending it to the skies for the stars to carry, he charged at the monsters before him, who greeted the son of death with open arms.

**Malcolm:**

All the other demigods knew of the trouble at the rendezvous-point. He had made sure of that. They were running on, hopefully to safety.

Lee had given Malcolm a horse. They would not leave Nico behind.

The trees were flying past the son of Athena as he was riding back towards the large oak. With any luck, he'd be able to snatch him up and ride off, faster than the Eternals could move their damned heads. And then he saw them. 20 figures, standing motionless, illuminated by the blue moonlight.

They had formed a semicircle, with a boy in the middle, his back to the oak tree. Malcolm knew he would be too late.

They were still 300 meters in the distance, and a large gorge was separating him from that hill. By the time he was around it, it would all be over.

He saw how the son of Hades whispered a last prayer to the skies, so quietly Malcolm couldn't understand a word.

And then Nico charged. His Longsword held high, he threw a flurry of furious blows at the monsters. The ghost king fought with such elegance and speed that he looked like an angel dancing under the stars. One eternal fell, and then another. Nico's gracefully moved from one stance into the next, his defense flowing into attacks and each parry blocking at least two enemy strikes at once.

All of it was done in complete silence, no grunts, no panting, not even the sound of steel clashing on steel. Malcolm wasn't sure whether he imagined it, but Nico's eyes seemed to gleam with green light. And then one parry came too late.

A shadow slashed into the demigod's leg. Blood, so much blood that even Malcolm could see it, gleamed in the darkness, spurting out of the cut. Nico fought on. Two more eternals fell. With a powerful Zwerchhau, Nico halved a third. But then-

Malcolm reached out his hand, grasping in the air, uselessly. He opened his mouth to scream. Nothing came out.

A black silhuette had rammed their sword through Nico from the back, the steel tip that protruded from his stomach gleaming with blood. Nico looked down, surprise written across his face.

Gleefully, the eternal pulled the blade out, inch by inch. The Ghost king coughed blood, a terrible hacking sound. The green gleam in his eyes had vanished.

He fell heavily onto his knees. The shadow in front of him raised the sword, as if in slow motion. One clean cut, and a head toppled to the forest ground.

Finally, Malcolms mouth obeyed him, and a long terrible scream, filled with pain and sorrow, shattered the midnight's silence.

* * *

**_REALLY IMPORTANT, PLS READ: i've gotten a bunch of hate for the di Angelo death, but trust me, he isn't out of the story yet. This entire fic is about crazy turns and new mysteries, so everything from resurrections, to ghost plot lines (i.e. Nico turning into a ghost at Hogwarts), to a complete underworld plot with just ghost characters is possible. Trust me here! I have a plan of where I am going with this. Nico is MY FAVOURITE character; he will still be really important to this story, until pretty much the end. If you don't trust me, just skip to chapter 21 (the bottom, but before the epilogue) or 22 already, and you'll see that I ain't lying. _**

_Fives over and __out_


	18. Chapter 18: On Knife's Edge

**Author's note:**

_Alright, for me this is half an hour late, it's already 00:30 monday morning, but I had a blast writing this and hope you'll enjoy reading it as much. The last of my fight and dark oriented chapters for a while, puh, that was a challenge to write XD Hope i haven't lost you in that grimdark lol._

**Disclaimer: **_None of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter belongs to me_

* * *

**Theo:**

"Rider approaching!" The lookout called. Theo stood up, bow over his shoulder. It might be Malcolm and Nico, but the scout had only mentioned one. Better safe than sorry, he thought while pulling an arrow out of his quiver. Dawn had finally arrived. The Eternals were gone, for now.

The Demigods camped at the second rendezvous point, on a small clearing, weapons strewn across the grounds, as was the norm. A small fire crackled between the sleeping teens. None of them looked good. Scratches, bruises and bandaged cuts where littering their bodies. Well, at least they were alive.

The rider, an orange camp-halfblood t-shirt clearly visible, was slowly coming into view. The horse hung its head in exhaustion. The demigod on it was slumping in the saddle, as if half asleep. His curly, blonde hair was dusty and filled with twigs, leaves and speckled with mud, but Theo recognised him immediately. It was Malcolm.

But where was Nico? The son of Athena had gone out looking for him, surely he wouldn't return without him.

Unless- But no, Nico couldn't die.

He was the best of their fighters, rivaling Percy and Jason. He was basically invincible.

Surely he had just taken another route, followed some Eternals, something like that. Something heroic and stupid.

With that last part Theo wasn't that wrong, he'd soon realise.

By now, the horse was just outside the clearing, and something within Malcolm's hand gleamed in the dull sunlight. It was a tiny skull, an amulet. Nico's amulet. Theo's eyes darted up, to the face of the Halfblood. Long streaks glimmered there, the grime and dust was split distinctively by those little lines. For a while Theo wasn't sure what it was. Then it hit him. Malcolm was crying. Theo had never seen the son of Athena cry. It was a mute sort of sadness, a lack of sobs, or screaming, or arm flailing, as he had seen so many other demigods do over the last week. There was only that blank stare in Malcolms eyes, and the slow trickling of tears down his cheeks.

"He's gone." whispered Malcolm, his voice broken. He slid down the horse and crumpled to a heap on the floor.

Theo didn't believe it. He couldn't believe it. Nico, dead? The Ghost King, destroyed by shadows? That just couldn't be. The son of Hades hadn't lived through three wars to be killed like- like this. Theo rushed over, grabbed Malcolm and shook the demigod with a violent urgency, but the other was motionless. Then, suddenly, the son of Athena turned around, and for the first time, Theo truly saw Malcolm's face. His pupils were shattered. The eyes and nose were reddened, almost inflamed from the mixture of tears and grime. His upper lip was trembling. "He's dead!" Malcolm whispered. "Don't you get it? HE'S DEAD!" His voice had turned into a scream.

The other campers had woken, and were staring at Malcolm numbly. He hadn't been the first one that couldn't take it. Nyssa had reacted the same way days ago. Now Nyssa was dead. And so was Nico. Theo couldn't move. Nico had been their leader, had held them together. But, he was gone?

"He's not coming back." Malcolm sobbed, so quietly only Theo could hear it.

_ten or so hours later_

By now, it was almost night. Malcolm wasn't back to normal. Theo had the distinct feeling that the son of Athena was hiding something from him. Something bad. Worse than Nico's death.

After the demigods had learnt about the Ghost King's fate, they had all hopefully stared at Malcolm, waiting for him to take over the leadership, but nothing like that happened. The exhausted demigods had seemed oblivious. So now, they were without a leader. No child of Ares or Athena, well, except Malcolm. No children of the big three. Only a Hermes kid, Stiles, two children of Apollo; Will and one of his brothers, he, Theo, son of Demeter, Elizabeth, a daughter of Aphrodite, and the last daughter of Hephaestus: Aech.

Theo was probably the best fighter out of all of them. He definitely knew theses forests better than any other demigod. But a child of Demeter did not lead. Especially if he hadn't completed an official quest yet. He couldn't lead, and the only other two that might have made decent leaders; Will and Aech, had made it clear that they did not want to. Will was a medic, more often behind front lines than within them, and Aech, well; Aech was perfect- Theo shook his head. His crush was unimportant at the moment. Aech was a builder. Not a military strategist.

The son of Demeter sighed. The shadows were growing longer and longer. The branches of the trees around the clearing were cracking in the wind. Now that the sun was going down the breeze had turned from chilly to icy. Theo shivered and huddled closer to the small fire and stared into the flames. He still couldn't believe they had lost Nico.

Night was coming fast. Already the glow from the flames in front of him was stronger than that of the sun at his back. He shook his head. They needed a leader. And the only one suitable for that role was Malcolm. With a last wistful thought to a good night full of sleep, in a warm bed with blankets within an actual house, he stood up, shook out his legs and made his way over to where Malcolm was sitting.

The boy looked almost as bad as he had that morning. He had not slept much, even after Will had given him his last sleeping tea, which was usually quite effective.

"Hey, Malcolm." Theo started, uncomfortably. Was it too much to ask him to lead, even after Nico's death? We need him, he reminded himself. If we're to make it out of here, we need him to lead us.

"Look, I know this is rough, but you need to get over it. At least for the moment."

Malcolm looked up to him with empty eyes, all energy had vanished from his body.

"I need you." Theo continued. "They need you! If we're to survive this, you need to lead all of us."

Malcolm stared at him for a few seconds, only to look down again. Not even one of his fingers had twitched. He just sat there, not even aknowledging that Theo was standing right infront of him. Theo gave up. Deep down he had known that he could not convince the son of Athena. It was hopeless. This night, they'd have to fight without a leader.

"Do you know what they do with the corpses?" Malcolm asked, his voice broken.

Theo's eyes widened. He had expected a lot, but not that. He was about to ask Malcolm, but someone gently laid a hand on his shoulder.

It was Elizabeth, a warning stare in her eyes. Theo had the distinct feeling she knew what happened with the corpses, and the way she looked at him he was sure he would not want to know. "Shouldn't you gear up?" She asked him a second later, after that look had vanished.

"Yeah. It's almost time for another round." Theo said, black humour evident.

Elizabeth gave him a sad smile and patted his arm. "It'll be alright." She didn't believe it herself.

"Not all stories have a happy-ever-after." he replied, trying to control his voice. He marched off, quickly, so that she could not see the tears welling up in his eyes. It had not been a happy ending for Nico. Or Michael and Jaina. He had seen many of his friends die. And even more had died behind a tree, or in a trench, somewhere far off, where no one had heard their cries, their last prayers, the calling for the parents they would never see again. So many whose story would be left untold, whose bodies, unceremoniously dumped, would be left to rot. Too many. Theo shook his head to get those thoughts out. It was time. He donned his helmet, grabbed his bow and quiver. He checked his arrows. The knife at the side of his shoe. The greek xiphos at his side. The weapons were sharp and in good order. He was never sloppy with the tools of death.

_a good hour later_

"RUN!" Theo screamed. The formation broke up.

The Eternals had found them faster than usual- no wonder without Nico's distraction. He and Elizabeth would break off to the left. Will and his brother to the right. The rest, using the horses, would gallop straight ahead and then curve off to either side, flanking the shadows. This time, Theo had no horse. He had given it to Malcolm, who still wasn't himself. The moment of division was close. Not yet- they had to lure the eternals in for the cavalry to work. not yet… soon tho. They passed another three trees. The shadows were close on their heels.

"NOW!" Theo called out. They had just started to move away from the group when a piercing screams made them stop in their tracks. Behind them, they saw Stiles. Impaled by a long spear, held by an eternal that had materialized in front of him. Next to Stiles stood Will's brother, Jack. He had also been stabbed, but by a sword, and from the back. Around them stood the other Eternals. Their long capes the only thing moving. Some of them seemed to grin. Jack gasped for air and spit blood. He raised his hand in a feeble attempt towards Will, standing hundreds of meters away. And then he fell. The life faded from his eyes, and the coughing stopped. He was still. Jack and Stiles lay next to each other, an almost peaceful look on their faces.

The eternals still did not move. The moon had come up, and the steel of their swords was glinting in the blue light. They just stood there, in a circle, quietly watching. The breeze had stopped. No nightly animal was to be heard. The silence was absolute. For an eternity, or a moment, Theo couldn't tell. And then, just as suddenly as it had come, it shattered.

"NOOOOO!" Will screamed, and thrashing, tried to make his way back to the corpse of his last brother. His closest brother. It seemed to take all of Aech's strength to hold him back. Movement also came back to Theo. He pulled Elizabeth by the hand and she too was ripped out of her trance. With all the speed they could gather, they ran through the dark forest, stumbling here and there, but almost not noticing it. Two more down. They were five demigods left.

Around 23:30, Theo and Elizabeth stumbled into Malcolm. He was sitting on his horse quietly, staring of into the distance. He did not move.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Theo hissed."Are you trying to get yourself killed? Ride, for gods' sake, ride!"

Malcolm bent down, calm, and for the first time since Nico's death, collected.

"Theo, tonight is different. They're going for the kill."

"So you're saying they weren't killing us before?" Theo shook his head angrily. How could Malcolm say that?

"No, they were just toying with us. Tonight, the game is over."

Theo looked up, speechless. So they had given their all, while the shadows had been holding back this entire time?!

"They're herding us together. Will is closer to us than he should be. They are killing off the horses strategically. Mine's the only one left. Most importantly, they ambushed us right at the beginning, and if you hadn't broken off the main group that early they would have gotten much more of us. There's no point in running. They'll catch us, sooner or later." Malcolms head hung down.

"You're not telling us everything are you?" Elizabeth said, her face gleaming with sweat, but her eyes steady and looking at Malcolm with a mixture of fear and sudden bravery.

"No. I'm sorry, but" He stopped, and whispered: "Aech is dead. They got her, around an hour ago."

Theo, who thought his world could not have gotten any darker, fell to his knees. His mind went blank. He had no tears left to cry. He was done. All he wished for was a complete memory wipe. To forget everything. The good, the bad. Just have all fade into nothingness. He did not care if the Eternals would find him, he did not have any strength left to stand up.

Elizabeth spoke, and ripped him out of his trance. "Then we make a final stand. Right here. This hill should do the trick. Let's give these fuckers a fight to remember." Her voice was steel, Theo had never heard the daughter of Aphrodite that determined before.

Malcolm's lips twitched, as if he was about to smile. "Alright, I'll collect Will." And with that he was off, riding towards a distant hill.

In some pocket he had never known existed, a final reserve within his heart, Theo found the strength to stand up, a final time. He skimmed the woods. Already, some shadows were approaching. Slowly, as if they knew that the demigods were not running any longer. Slowly, to savour the final kill. The moon was shining down upon them, smirking at their plight. Elizabeth grabbed his hand. Their fingers intertwined.

"It was nice knowing you." She said, a smile crossing her lips.

Theo stared deep into her eyes. She was a good friend. Always had been. His last friend, it seemed. "It was nice knowing you too." He closed his eyes, and only opened them at the sound of hooves approaching.

Malcolm was back, and Will was with him. By now, the eternals could be seen encroaching them from every side. They were almost gliding over the forest floor, their black silhouettes shimmering blue in the night. The trees were long shadows reaching to the sky. up there, the stars were shining brightly, maybe a last goodbye the gods had sent them. The others had unsheathed their swords. Malcolm had dismounted, to die at the side of his cousins. Theo pulled out an arrow, and shot. It hit a shadow straight in the left eye hole.

"Nice one!" Will exclaimed, causing the others to laugh at the situation, a shared laugh, a last one.

"Let's shove some stell up their asses!" Malcolm said.

And screaming "Olympus!" they charged down the small slope. If the shadows were impressed they did not show it. A first was decapitated by Malcolms longer Spatha, a second stabbed in the guts by Elizabeth's Xiphos. Theo shot off arrow after arrow, each time hitting an Eternal. But they were too many.

Will fell. And after a terrible cut to the arm, Elizabeth dropped her sword and screamed in pain. Soon it would be over.

Theo took one last look at his friends. They hadn't done so bad after all, had they. They had survived longer than he could have imagined to be possible. Theo was proud that he could call them his friends. His family.

He gutted another Eternal with his sword, standing over the still bleeding daughter of Aphrodite. He would protect her to his last breath. A few meters off, Malcolm was twirling like a tornado, slashing into Eternals at light speed. But they returned faster than he could kill them.

Another dozen of the shadows appeared. Now they were done for. A single tear trickled down Theo's cheek. And then-

Silver arrows, gleaming like lasers in the moonlight, hit the Eternals around him. Wolves howled and stormed towards the shadows, jumping up and ripping out black throats. The long and rumbling sound of a hunting horn ripped through the night.

And then they were there. 20 teen girls, angels sent from the sky. Two dropped on their knees next to Elizabeth, bandaging her up, a third ran over to Will, checking his heart beat. "He's alive! We need a medic!" She called out, and another girl coming over with bandages and what looked like ambrosia.

The others held bows in their hands, firing relentlessly at the shadows. They shot so fast that even the Eternals' regeneration did not give them a decisive advantage. A stone fell from Theo's heart. They were rescued. At least some of his friends would survive.

He lifted his bow with new energy and joined the Hunters of Artemis in their volleys of arrows. Suddenly, a black haired girl stood in front of him.

"Thalia!" he exclaimed happily, pulling her into a hug.

"The reunion party can happen later, buckethead." She said, but even so, she smiled. "For now, we need to get out of here."

And with that, she once again blew into her horn.

"Why the hell won't they answer?" She asked, angrily looking at the sky, as if expecting the gods themselves to intervene.

A confused Theo was about to ask what she meant when a large shadow moved across the sky, blocking out the stars. It was a gigantic, flying ship.

From above them; a voice talked through a speaker. It was Leo. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Argo III is here for the rescue, you have permission to board."

Theo laughed. At least Leo hadn't changed.

* * *

_Maybe I'm really not as evil as everybody thinks. See, some survived. In all seriousness tho, this is quite dark, even for me, so don't expect this to continue being that dark for any length of time. Hope you enjoyed!_

_See ya next week with another chapter_

_Fives signing out_


	19. Chapter 19: Aftermath

_Damn it, another time I missed a deadline last week. But here yah go, another chapter. This one is fairly short, mostly deals with loss and has one gigantic reveal at the end. The special thing is that I've been working on flashing out that Kai and Nico romance and therefore I've been writing more such scenes. i'll add them in previous chapters, but so that you do not have to search for them spread out, i have compiled them here, together with the chapter I'll put them in._

_**Disclaimer:** extreme angsty content, also implied cannibalism by the villains, not sure if this falls under the right maturity rating, but **TAKE THIS AS YOUR WARNING**_

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**Theo:**

The Argo III was gigantic. Enough room to quarter the hunters and their wolves, wounded demigods as well as the four from Hogwarts, not to mention a cyclops.

The ship hadn't been able to land. Instead ropes had been thrown down and a complicated looking plank to attach the wounded to had been lowered. Thalia and her girls had given their best to keep the Eternals occupied and help the wounded Elizabeth and Will into the construction. Many of the wolves climbed on as well. Then, everything had gone fast. The plank had been pulled up, Theo and the hunters had grabbed on to the other ropes and started climbing. Artillery from above helped keep the Eternals occupied-

And moments later, the ship was out of the shadows' reach. Theo, still dangling on a rope, had slowly been pulled up to the ship, the trees below him turning into tiny toys. The moon was shining. The Eternals were collectively staring up at the wooden hull. Their faces expressionless. In the distance, Theo could see a gigantic clearing. Ruins where littered across the hills, and ashes still gleamed in some of the corners. The strawberry fields were trampled, the training arena- picked apart stone by stone. Only the Great House was mostly intact. However, the veranda had been torn apart, wooden planks sticking in the grass around it. Like the corpse of a gigantic ancient animal the blackened building huddled there, bones scattered. Theo wasn't sure how long he starred at the camp he had once called home. But when he touched his cheek, he realized it was wet with tears.

Up on deck, Theo had witnessed the treatment of the wounded; hunters and demigods alike. Finally, there was plenty of Ambrosia and Nectar. Clean bandages had been applied to the wounds, and most of the unfortunate souls were already sleeping. Only Elizabeth was still getting stitches from Annabeth. Usually, that would have been Wills job, but the medic had been wounded badly. It would take a while for him to recover.

Theo stood off to the side, looking at the black horizon and the distant sea. The cold stars were shining above. Slowly, the sound of waves crashing against the shore was getting louder. The water was close. He could already smell the salty air of the ocean. The son of Demeter sighed with relief. Something told him that out there, not even the Eternals would find them. Shivering, Theo pulled his jacket tighter around himself. The breeze was chilly.

"Theo." A voice said behind him, and his heart plummeted.

It was Percy.

"Where's Nico?" The son of Poseidon asked, his voice trembling slightly. Trembling with fear.

Theo pressed his lips together. He couldn't look at Percy. He did not want to see the anguish in his eyes, nor did he want see his iris' shattering. He couldn't tell him.

Theo was still shivering, but now the cold had nothing to do with it.

**Annabeth:**

She had just finished the stitches on Elizabeth and gone down into the hull to get some more Ambrosia, should one of the wounded wake up they might need it, when she heard heavy footsteps behind her. The daughter of Athena suddenly realised how quiet the ship was. No hammering, no screaming (in anger or pain), no laughter. It seemed as if the entire world was holding its breath. Only those footsteps.

Clonk.

Clonk.

Clonk.

They were heavy and slow. A sad rhythm, Annabeth thought. She didn't know that sound. Percy didn't walk that way, nor did Leo. And Nico- well the Ghost King was always as quiet as a ghost. They grew louder, and she turned around. It was Percy. Well, if what she saw was truly her Percy. He was a broken figure, his shoulders hunched, his eyes red from crying. He was shaking, and with utmost certainty Annabeth knew what had happened.

"Nico- he's gone." the son of Poseidon got out between sobs. Annabeth felt the tears collect and roll. She felt her hands clench up and Percy's body as she hugged him tight. Her heart on the other hand-

It just felt numb.

Was it supposed to be numb?

Annabeth didn't know.

It hadn't felt like that when Luke had died. When Thalia had seemed dead. It hadn't felt like that when Percy had disappeared.

But she was happy for the numbness.

The cold, empty numbness, and that Percy Jackson in her arms.

**Malcolm:**

The others needed to know.

He puked again. Don't think about it. The Eternals- no.

The others need to know.

He was standing at the railing, leaning into the night whenever another wave of sickness hit him. He was surprised how much bile a human stomach contained.

The others need to know.

Well, it hadn't been surprising. Many bodies had disappeared back then. During the hunt. In the night. In the mornings. Only few demigods had gotten actual burial. Malcolm had always wanted to know what the Eternals did with them.

He doubled over and vomited.

What the Eternals did with the corpses-

No, he had decided that he didn't want to know. But now, it was to late. He had seen, and what had been seen couldn't be unseen.

The others need to know.

What did they need to know? How their friend had died? No.

They already knew that. Did they need to know the rest? No.

But what if it was important? What if that was why they hunted in the first place. Yes.

The others need to know.

The scene replaid in Malcolm's head for what must have been the thousandth time. He knew he couldn't turn it off. He had tried.

The sky had been a dark blue. The moon had been shining. The trees stood still. The breeze had vanished. Thirty shadows had stood around one lonely figure. Their silhouettes were raised against the night's sky. A silent dance - the son of Hades fell to his knees. One strike, one sickening thump, a spherical shape landing on the ground. Nico had been decapitated.

The Eternals had stood still. And then all hell went loose. The shadows closed in, jumped, ripped, bit each other, screeched.

Malcolm puked again.

Animals. That was all the shadows where.

He spat vomit.

Animals.

By the time the hyenas had finished their meal, the only thing left of Di Angelo had been his head.

* * *

_Damn, hope you don't hate me for that last reveal. So that was it for the chapter itself. Short, i know. But ive done some serious editing on my google docs, as well as outlining, characterprofiles etc. so that I am 100% ready for the next chapters and can get this fanfic to a level that I am happy with._

NEW EDIT: Originally, the appendix of this chapter included multiple flashback Nico and Kai scenes I was going to add to earlier chapters to flesh out their relationship. These have now been added to chapter 6, 10 and some others, respectively. There is also a new Leo and Calypso sequence in chapter 8.

* * *

_Alright, hope you liked both the dark and the fluff here. I'll certainly have more Nico and Kai flashbacks next chapter, and some less dark usual plot. Slowly, we're returning back to normal. More less. Calypso still hasn't been mentioned, nor Grover, so keep those two characters in mind. At some point, their fate will be revealed ;D_

_Fives signing out_


	20. Chapter 20: some shocking Revelations

_**Author's note:**_

_Yessss, so the heavily implied cannibalism in last weeks chapter cough cough. Please don't report :( This week will be slightly better, or at least I have the feeling it will be. Not a happy one tho, so brace yourself. Overall, there'll be three big revelations for different characters: Harry and his squad, Leo and of course all of Argo III will find out more about the Eternals from Malcolm ;) Hope you enjoy! This one does for once have a happy ending._

* * *

**Annabeth:**

Night was over. The Argo III had landed. They were anchoring on the waves, the washed out blue of the sky above them.

The dining room was crowded. Dull light hit the table in the middle; the windows were open to let fresh air in. Simple food had been served. Annabeth hadn't tasted a thing. The stew smelt like nothing, had the consistency of nothing, and looked like nothing. She had wanted to spit it out, but forced herself to swallow each bite.

Well, at least Annabeth had been able to eat. Most of the other's hadn't. If it was because of the shock or because they weren't hungry; the daughter of Athena had no clue. But she couldn't blame them. And neither did she care.

She was still numb; almost as numb as last night. After all that, she and Percy had cried themselves to sleep. For all she could remember, it was 1 o'clock in the morning by the time Percy's sobs had been diluted to semi-steady breathing. He was cute when asleep. Still that little drool she had learnt to love over the last five years. Annabeth stayed awake. 3 o'Clock. 4 o'Clock. 5 o'Clock. The ship bells rang. She just stared at the ceiling, questioning everything that had happened.

Was it their fault for not having come fast enough? Yes. Was it her fault that she had allowed him to go alone? Yes. Was it her fault that he'd died? Yes. Somehow, his life continued to flash through Annabeth's mind. Even during breakfast: that first encounter; the snowy night; Dr. Thorne and the cliff. Bianca- and a ten year old Nico. The Labyrinth; Nico's fury. His raising of the skeletons. He at the head of Hades' Army during the battle of Manhattan. The Bronze Jar. And the fall. How his face had loomed over the edge, his hand stretched out. A few meters above them; so close yet so far away. The way his hair had hung towards her and Percy when they had finally let go. The shrinking of his face, sprinkled with tears, as the two fell into Tartarus. The end of the war; his talk with Percy. The banter. A happy Nico. Kai. And now- nothing.

Nothing.

A dead son of Hades. 16 years old. Not unusual.

But Annabeth couldn't blink the tears away. What did she care about other children of Hades? This wasn't some child on the other side of the planet. This was her Nico they were talking about; someone she had fought side by side with. Someone she had laughed with. A Warrior.

She'd never hold him again. She'd never see his face again. He was gone. And she couldn't believe that.

"We need to get the bodies." Percy broke the silence, ripping her out of remembering last night. His voice was shaky. His shoulders were still slacking, his entire body slouched. His eyes stared holes into the table. Below it, Annabeth squeezed his hand. He had known Nico better than she had. He'd know how to bury him.

No one answered Percy.

"We need to get the bodies!" Percy almost screamed. He had stood up, with such force that his chair had fallen. The demigods stared at him. Numb. Just like Annabeth felt. Then one nodded, then the next. They seemed to agree with Percy, regardless of the danger they'd put themselves in by returning to the shore.

"No." The room froze. Nobody moved. Malcolm had spoken. For the first time since his rescue. He was pale; gaunt. He seemed to have stopped puking, for he was without the bucket.

"What do you mean with No?! I'm not asking you. This is an order! We're going!" Percy glared at him, red fury within his eyes. He had straightened his shoulders. As a son of Poseidon, he was used to leading. Not to being talked back to. He had served on more quests than Malcolm, had more beads on his necklace, was older than Malcolm and was the son of the second highest ranking god of olympus. He outranked Malcolm in every way. He had no right to flat out refuse Percy's request. Annabeth almost thought he'd slap her brother for the insolence.

He didn't. Not because he didn't want to, but because of Malcolms next lines.

"You can go. But there are no bodies to bury." he pulled a shaky breath, his eyes wide, and then continued. "That is unless you'll cut open the bellies of every Eternal to fish out what remains of them".

He didn't look them into the eyes but turned around at once, swaying as he left, almost as if drunk. They could hear him puking in the corridor.

Annabeth looked around. The expressions of the others were those of confusion. But slowly, they became those of fear and disgust. They were reaching the same conclusion Annabeth had already drawn.

"you don't mean…"

"So…"

They ate them?!"

The daughter of Athena had to fight hard to keep her morning stew within her stomach.

She looked at Percy. Her boyfriend had collapsed in his chair, right next to Leo. His outside was calm, almost at ease. His muscles had relaxed. His once clenched fist was now open. He seemed… normal. Except for his eyes. It was his eyes that scared her.

**Harry:**

The common room was almost empty. It was late. He, Ron and Hermione had waited for some privacy to discuss the american problem, how they had begun to call it. They still weren't back from wherever they had gone to. It had almost been a week. None of their friends new - Harry had asked Katie, he had asked Colin and Kai. He had even asked Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that had the same classes as the americans. Nothing. He had found nothing.

By now, he was almost a little worried about the americans. Almost. He would have felt so, if Nico hadn't held a sword to his throat, hadn't tried to kill him.

Hermione had read during most breaks, as much about wizard-muggle wars as possible. Harry had asked why she bothered; the americans were unlikely to have visited the battlefield of Gloucester, or hidden inside the castle at La Rochelle.

"To defeat an enemy, you must know them." She had told him, without looking up from _'British wizard-muggle wars; the deeds of Richard I, Henry Longchamp and Thomas Becket.'_

"So have you found anything yet?" Ron asked her once the common room was completely empty.

"No." Hermione sighed. "It's unbelievable. We have nothing. NOTHING on CHB in any of the books except for what we already found. It's like they've been erased from history."

Ron hit the table. "Damn it! We won't find out more then. We'll just have to wait until they're back".

"If they come back at all." Harry said, dully. He feared they had seen the last of the americans. They had found what they had been looking for, and then fled.

"Are you still sure that they weren't working for Voldemort?" he asked them. It was the only possible explanation. Who else would want a muggle wizard war? They had to at least be allied to the dark lord. And with Nico's abilities… well. The ghost stuff was dark arts for sure.

Hermione moaned in exasperation. "Yes Harry, I am certain. If they had, Dumbledore would have never let them enter the school. And we've never heard of Voldemort accepting teens into his ranks before. It's just not plausible."

Ron coughed. "Could you PLEASE stop calling him by his name?"

"Anyways, you think Nico would date a halfblood if he was a supporter of Voldemort?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron's interjection.

Harry nodded reluctantly. "That is true." Kai hadn't taken things well. He seemed both sad and angry; Harry guessed Nico hadn't told him anything at all.

Ron shivered. "Is it just me, or is it getting cold here?"

Harry felt it too. The hair on his neck stood up.

"It feels like… like Dementors." Hermione whispered.

"No… I'd hear my parents, and I don't." Harry replied quietly, both eyes focused on any sounds.

Ron pulled out his wand. "Well, better safe than-"

Suddenly, the sound had disappeared. The crackling of the fire had been muted. Ron's lips still moved, but no sound came out. He looked astonished, and so did Hermione.

_What is this? _Harry mouthed, but neither of them seemed to know. Hermione just shook her head. Then, a door squicked. The moon was shining through the windows, illuminating the couches and tables. The fire had died. The common room had been dipped in cold, blue paint.

Suddenly, the portrait of the fat lady began to swing back. Ron jumped. Inch by inch, the door moved out of the way. Harry's eyes widened. Behind the hole, two silhouettes, pitch black, stood unmoving. Their robes flattered, but there was no wind.

Their eyes were holes of pure emptiness. Half walking, half gliding, they entered the Gryffindor tower. Like angels fallen to serve the devil they approached the wizards. Next to Harry, neither Ron nor Hermione had moved an inch. Harry pulled all his courage together and took his wand.

The shadows got even closer. He could see the cloth covered hollowness of their mouths.

"Expecto Patronum!" He screamed, thinking of his parents. It worked. A giant beast erupted from his wand, and ran into the nearest shadow-

just to evaporate. A cackling, coarse and high pitched came from the monster. Harry's patronus had done nothing at all, not even slowed him down. They got closer, and closer, and closer.

When they were close enough to kiss the wizards with their raw hands and ragged, empty mouths, they stopped. It was freezing. The blue moonlight bright and almost blinding, but the shadows were not reflecting any of it. Instead they were drinking it; like black holes, pure darkness.

"Where are they?" The front one rattled, and Harry got more goosebumps than he had thought he had hair. The voice did not belong to this world, nor had Harry heard it ever before. He thought he had seen large fangs, teeth the size of his little finger move while the shadow had spoken. Mesmerized, he stared at the cloth covering the mouth.

"Where are the demigods?!" The shadow almost screamed.

_What the hell was he talking about?_ Harry thought, slowly backing away.

"If- If you mean the americans, we haven't seen them for a week. We have no clue where the went. We asked everyone here. They just disappeared." Hermione spoke up quietly. Her voice quivered and her eyes stared at the ground, to scared to look at what lay before her.

The monster turned its ugly head. For a long time, it stared at the witch. Then, the two, as if in slow motion, faded into nothingness. The last thing Harry heard was the crackling of a just re-awakened fire. Then, everything turned black.

**Leo:**

Another nail,

Another CLONK as the hammer punched it into the wood.

Another nail,

Another CLONK.

Another nail,

Another Clonk.

Leo needed to work. it was the only way he could sustain himself.

Whereas the other had puked or cried during the aftermath, all he could do was worry and pain himself to insanity. Well, worry wasn't the right word to describe the clenching of his guts and the pain he felt in his chest. It was more like agony. he hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten.

He did not know where Calypso was, he had not been able to contact her. The others hadn't see her die, hadn't seen her corpse. The latter made sense now. The corpses had been eaten.

But he still felt a glimmer of hope, that she might be alive. That she might be well. He had grabbed onto that glimmer, held tight, never wanting to let go.

Another nail, another CLONK.

He wiped the hair out of his eyes. It had been soaked in a mixture of grime and tears. His cheeks were dirty, broken. As if a battle had been fought on them.

She just couldn't be dead. He couldn't take it. Nico- he didn't care. Chiron- he didn't care. But Calypso, by all the gods, please no! Please let her live!

He sobbed. With an angry scream, he threw his hammer at the opposite wall. It broke through the wood and fell out of sight, down down, to at some point land in the ocean. The Argo III was flying again. They had decided there was no point of going back. Especially if all the bodies where gone. So he'd never now…

Leo's eyes leaked more tears as he rolled himself into a small pile of misery on the planks beneath him.

An eternity passed.

"Leo." Someone said. Leo didn't want to respond. He didn't want to see the others. He just wanted to die. Or at least be left alone with his pain.

"Leo!" that someone said more urgently. Leo still ignored him. Maybe he'd go away after some time. Maybe he could finally sleep on this wood, and maybe, just maybe, he'd never have to wake up from his dreams.

"LEO!"

Leo sighed and slowly unwound himself to climb up the ladder, out of the underbelly of the ship, that still needed some final planks to be installed for the floor and the different walls.

Up there stood Theo, happy for once. But Leo didn't care. If the son of demeter could get over that many deaths at such speed he was welcome to. Leo wouldn't.

"What?!" he asked irritated once having reached the top.

"You wont believe this!" Theo exclaimed, shaking the son of Hephaestus by his shoulders. Theo's eyes radiated positive energy. He smiled like crazy. "Its Calypso! She IMed us! She's alive!"

* * *

_Alright, hope you liked this one, was dark at the beginning but had a very happy ending for my standards. Think Harry and his friends survived their encounter with the eternals? What might they do after this, especially now that they know the americans are "demigods"? I promise, this fanfiction will slowly lose some darkness. Not everything is as bad as it seems. Any reactions? Feedback? I am always happy for any reviews ;). This one of course had no Nico (or just little with Annabeth thinking about him), but over the next few weeks I'll include more and more one shots which I'm planning to incorporate into earlier chapters but put them in the new chapters at first so that you can read them without having to search through the entire fanfic. _

_Hope you all have a great week, see yah next sunday!_

_Fives signing out_


	21. Chapter 21: Returning Heroes

**Chapter 21: Returning Heroes**

_Author's note:_

_I know I know, long break. I'm sorry. But I did do some work; completely redid my outline cuz I didn't like were the story was going. As an apology for all this there'll be a sneak peak of what is to come at the end of the chapter; AND another long Nico and Kai scene which will be put into chapter 12 when I'm reworking this. Also, I think you'll really like this chapter; some world-building, lots of characters returning etc etc. _

_Stay safe and healthy!_

* * *

**Leo**

They had reached Calypso by early evening.

"COME ON!" Percy screamed, and Leo couldn't have agreed more with that sentiment. The sky had turned pink and darkness would rush in soon enough. He was standing at the Argo IIIs bow, the air blowing around him, smiling like a maniac. Calypso stood there, down on the ground only a few hundred meters in front of him, and so did two other campers, the shadows hiding their faces.

He couldn't believe it. She was alive! He looked over his shoulder, at his friends preparing for landing. Thalia's hunters were spread on deck, their bows drawn, ready to shoot should the Eternals attack. Annabeth had taken up the steering wheel; Tyson was holding the boarding plank. Percy stood with his brother, to pull the others up. Will had already prepared three medical beds below. Maybe, Leo thought, they'd survive after all. Maybe this would have a happy ending. He was quite sure that he had just jinxed it though.

They landed on a meadow, soft grass surrounded by pine trees. Calypso and one of the campers were helping the third; seemingly wounded. Percy and Tyson put down the plank; Leo ran down it, long before it was secured, towards Calypso. He registered Thalia giving commands and three hunters following him, Percy on their heels; then he was hugging Calypso. They stood there for a few seconds, before Calypso pulled back to look into his eyes. Gratitude, fear, love; her eyes showed a billion emotions, mirroring Leo's soul. Smiling, she kissed him. His heart jumped; he still hadn't gotten used to that feeling.

"Hey, lovebirds, come on!" Percy called, pulling Leo out of his trance. He realised the son of Poseidon was already helping the wounded camper, Des, towards the ship. The hunters that had come off the Argo III were giving them cover. Pulling Calypso by the hand, he followed Percy suit.

Breathless, they reached the deck, quickly followed by the hunters. Tyson pulled the ramp up, and off they went. The Argo III lifted itself into the air, the land below getting smaller and smaller, trees turning into miniatures. A single deer was roaming the forest. Will had helped Des below deck, to see to his wounds. The other was standing with Malcolm and Theo, staring into the distance, where once Camp Halfblood had been.

Night had finally arrived; the first stars were glittering above them. Leo pulled his girlfriend to the taffrail.

"You built this?" She asked.

"Yep, Captain Leo at your Service." Leo said grinning.

"Then you could have at least created a neater Figurehead." she teased.

Leo couldn't help but laugh and pulled her into another hug. "I couldn't - my model was missing. A sculpture of the great Calypso is the only beauty that will ever crown my ship."

Leo could feel her smile on his cheek and kissed her softly. It felt good to banter like they used to.

"I'm glad you're safe and back with us." he mumbled. She pulled him down on a barrel, Where they sat, Calypso on his lap, staring at the horizon. The dark, blue sea was drawing closer. The wind had started to smell like salt.

"I think the worst is over." Calypso said, sighing.

Leo smiled down at Calypso lying in his arms. "We're back together. That's all that counts." he replied, studying his girlfriends face he had been longing to see for so long. She was as beautiful and mysterious as ever, looking up to the stormy skies. Leo knew this was a day he'd remember for a very, very long time.

**Percy:**

Calypso and Leo sat off the main group, softly mumbling to each other. Percy could not understand a word, yet it was obvious, even to him, that both of them were happier than they had been for quite some time. Leo had lost a sort of tension that had been part of him since the day they had left for Hogwarts. Now that was gone, and Percy was glad the son of Hephaestus was back to normal. Yet he wasn't as happy for his friend as he wanted to be; Nico's fate still hung over him and there wasn't a moment where he didn't think about the child of Hades. He knew he couldn't allow himself to, but he caught himself to often in day dreams, reminiscing their past, to deny it; he was not focused on the mission, not at all.

A hand dropped on his shoulder; it was Thalia. She came to his side, staring down at the fast moving forest beneath the flying ship.

"We need to plan our next moves." She said, her voice unemotive. The latter was weird for Thalia; usually the daughter of Zeus was either bubbling with laughter or steaming with hate and anger. As much as he didn't want to admit it though; she was right.

"Sure." Percy replied heavily.

She leaned in a little closer. "We have to act fast. We have no idea what is coming for us. We might have surprised and defeated them once, but it won't happen again." Her eyes stared intently into his. She was so close he could see every freckle. She had a slight blue, electric gleam to her, proving just how tense she was. If he hadn't known better, he would have said she was afraid.

"I'll get Malcolm, you Annabeth. And get a grip on yourself Jackson!" Thalia had taken command. She walked off briskly, her bow slung over her shoulder.

"Where are we meeting?" Percy called after her.

"The foremost cabin should be fine." she said without turning around. Percy shook his head to gain some clarity and went below decks to search for his girlfriend.

The room was tight, with tables filling most of the space. Upon them lay maps, official, stolen government documents, a few books, and small wooden markers showing half-blood troops and defenses.

Malcolm had just arrived; he was the last. He seemed a little less green; though he still carried a bucket. Regardless, it seemed as if he had become the de-facto leader during the hunt, so he deserved to be present. Percy and Annabeth, as the creators of the ship, heroes of two major prophecies and children of main gods had obviously every right to partake in the planning, and Thalia, as leader of the hunters, had the strongest military position, her troops outnumbering the greek demigods two to one.

It was sad to compare their current strength with their military might a month ago. Annabeth closed the door behind Malcolm. With that, all of them turned to the daughter of Zeus; the meeting had been her idea after all. Thalia coughed a little embarrassed.

"Good, then we're all here," she said. "With the eradication of camp halfblood", she took a large marker of the american map; " our position on the east coast is severely weakened. We still have Satyr bases here, here and here," pointing at different forests, "and two small demigod resupply bases in Washington and Charleston."

"How many men?" Percy interrupted.

"Well, if you mean women, I have four hunters positioned in Charleston and the last Chiron told me Washington base was mostly filled by veterans which did not need much protection; I am assuming though that if we contact them we'd get a force of ten, no more." She shook her head in worry; that was not nearly enough to stem the tide.

"Why don't we know about the base in Washington? Especially if it's connected to Camp Halfblood; I don't think Chiron would have kept that information from us." Annabeth looked curious but also uncertain. Percy knew that she had always had a special relationship with Chiron and understood her sentiment; Chiron, lie to them? That seemed unbelievable.

"Oh, he had to. As I said, they're veterans, they don't need protection, and wouldn't have wanted to be constantly bugged for help by young bloods on their first missions. From what I've heard though they did their part during both last wars; skirmishing with the titans rear-guard during the battle of Manhattan and fighting a guerilla war against the monsters that marched south to camp Halfblood during the giants war."

Percy's mouth stood open. He realised, and closed it with an audible _"bob"_. He had had no clue. First the Romans; now this. Granted, Camp Jupiter was on another scale, but it always surprised him how much he still had to learn about the demigod world.

"Okay," Annabeth said, "so we can't hold the east. How about the west? California is the stronghold of the Romans; if we can reach them we could unite our forces."

Thalia nodded slowly. "I agree; it is risky to draw our forces together when we still do not know how to defeat them, but if these Eternals strike again; it will be against Camp Jupiter. With Leo's magic, this ship is undetectable. We hunters move so fast that it is impossible to locate us. The satyrs and nymphs don't seem to be what these monsters are after; they hunt demigods. Washington is secure; the veterans know what they are doing and are too hard a nut to crack for too little meat." At that she looked up. "Assuming that their primary goal is food; eating us demigods, that is."

"If we can rule all of these out, that leaves Camp Jupiter." Percy finished her trail of thought.

Silence filled the room, until Malcolm spoke up, the first time this meeting. "The survivors of Camp Halfblood will stand with their Roman brothers."

"So will the Hunters." Thalia said, determination darkening her voice. She took Malcolm's hand. "To whatever end, we stand together."

Malcolm nodded in thanks, and returned his focus to the maps. "We need to collect all the troops we can gather; the Satyrs that are still loyal to Grover's ideals, your hunters at Charleston, anyone we can find."

Thalia moved two hunter-scout markers from the Argo III to the Camp Jupiter marker. "I'll dispatch two messengers to warn Reyna and explain our coming. We unify our forces at Camp." She looked up, at Annabeth and Percy. "What about you? Are you two and Leo with us?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Remember, all we know about the Eternals is thanks to our infiltration of that wizarding school. We have to get back; after all we still do not know how to defeat the Eternals; actually kill them I mean, not just stop them. But when the time for battle comes we will be there."

"How?!" Malcolm asked. "The wizarding school is on the other side of the world. How are you going to be fast enough to help us?"

Percy smiled. "You think we hadn't thought of that?"

Annabeth lifted an embroidered spear. "This is a portkey. It was our back up option to shadow travel should Nico pass out after one round. Well, now without him it's the best we have. Keep the Argo III, use it to collect the troops you need. When the battle has begun, send an Iris message. We will be there. And we'll bring every wizard friend we have." Malcolm smiled at that. "Maybe, just maybe we do stand a chance."

Thalia nodded. The others stood still for a moment. She looked at them with disbelief. "WELL, what are you all waiting for?! Percy, Annabeth, get Leo and return to that damned school; Malcolm, tell the others; We're sailing to Charleston!"

The deck was filled with hectic demigods, raising the sail and ordering the ropes. The hunters were already creating a separate cabin for themselves; sleeping bags were passed around. Thalia had taken the steering wheel. Percy threw a last look at what was left of Camp Halfblood; a few campers; Will, Des Malcolm and their friends.

Grover, Clarisse, Chiron, they and all the others were gone, dead or missing. But Percy knew that the only way he could make up for being away while they fought for their lives was by focusing on this mission. And for the first time in days, he was able to put the memories of Nico aside, behind the task at hand. His attention returned to the ship. Tyson had said he'd stay and help the Argo III and it's crew. Leo had dragged a happy Calypso to Annabeth and Percy. Even when standing next to the portkey they were still holding hands. Obviously they wouldn't want to be parted again, but the son of Poseidon wasn't sure how to explain a new student to Dumbledore, or any of their teachers really. Annabeth had explained how the portkey worked ages ago; she had just finished another spell, what for Percy wasn't sure.

On his girlfriends order they all grabbed on to the shaft. Seconds later the demigods were pulled into darkness.

Hogwarts loomed before them. It was early morning; mist had collected around the towers, giving them a ghostly appearance. The sun had just peeked over the mountains; its weak rays doing nothing to stop the cold from biting through Percy's shirt.

"Man, how I missed Britain." he said while pulling off his jacket, offering it to Annabeth. She smiled gratefully and pulled it on; she had been shivering just as much as he was. They made their way through the fields, seeing Hagrid in the distance.

"How late is it?" Leo asked yawning.

"Six o'clock in the mornin." Annabeth mumbled.

"Great, maybe we can get an hour of sleep before classes start." Leo said, his eyes already half closed.

Somehow that felt like a punch to Percy. Usually it had always been Nico to complain about lacking sleep. Hogwarts without that kid would need a lot of getting used to. Percy knew Annabeth had somehow guessed his thoughts, because she laid her arm around him in comfort. Percy was glad for that.

The gates of the school were open. Inside, no one was to be seen. That was likely not unusual; breakfast only started at seven. But to Percy, it felt creepy, to have the school, usually bustling with life so deserted. They went up the staircase to Gryffindor tower.

Leo was quietly telling Calypso that they could nap in the common room until breakfast, when they could talk to Professor McGonagall and get her a bed in one of the rooms. Percy sighed. He had no clue what the other students would say. And tomorrow would be hell; with only an hour of sleep he wouldn't survive history of magic and potions back to back. The stairs dragged on and on, and the portraits whispered excitedly, as if they too knew of their disappearance.

The Fat Lady had gained another few pounds, or his tired eyes were playing tricks on him; Percy couldn't tell. "Password?" She asked suspiciously.

"Veni, Vidi, Vici" Annabeth answered after a short moment. She had almost forgotten it; for Percy too this all felt like ages ago. The portrait swung open; the common room was empty.

The fires were dead; all but one which was still crackling. The couches were spread out, just the way they had been when they had left. Little pieces of parchment and broken quills were lying around; that was a little unusual. But Percy didn't care. All he wanted was his bed and a few minutes of rest before everyone would question him.

"Okay guys, let's head up quietly. Sleep tight." Percy whispered and mock saluted, winking.

Calypso and Leo headed for a couch close to the last fire, and Percy and Annabeth for the stairs- when he saw a shoe.

Dark brown, muddy and scratched badly.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Annabeth called out.

Well so much for being quiet Percy thought.

But he didn't blame her; he himself was already running to said couch, his eyes a little wet, smiling so much it hurt his face.

Leo had similarly jumped towards it, grabbing a limp hand that was hanging over the side.

Calypso had stopped dead in her tracks, disbelief written all across her face.

On the couch, fully relaxed, lay a sleeping, but unharmed-

Nico di Angelo.

**Epilogue **

The moon was illuminating a mountain range. Glittering snow sprinkled their peaks. Below, a small lake spread across the valley. The wind was howling, ripping at the cloaks of two figures. Their black silhouettes seemed to drink the moonlight. They stood there, still. But just for a moment.

Then the taller one took another step forward. In front of them was a cliff, falling down what must have been hundreds of meters. Yet the black clad creature didn't seem afraid of the fall. It stood at the edge, pulling the air in through rattling teeth. And then it removed its hood. He was a large man; short hair and a long beard. His companion followed suit and under the cape another man appeared; yet he was bold, and thickset. He cowered at the Abyss, shivering with cold.

"So the riders have made their appearance after all." The larger one said, without turning around.

"Eye, but without horses." The cowering figure replied, his voice squeaky, not befit for a guy of his stature.

"They will return. This was just the first wave." The man had finally stept away from the abyss, and the castle he had stared at in the distance.

"So will the plan finally be put into action? Will we free- free Him?" The bold one trembled, yet not because of the cold.

"No. There's no reason to rush, Wayne. The prophecy was clear." He chuckled. A raspy, broken noise. "Well, in that regard at least."

"And what about the Eternals?" Wayne whispered.

"For the moment they are dealt with. Those demigods still think the Riders were the Eternals after all. And as long as they believe that an alliance is impossible." The tall figure had returned his attention to the cliff.

Silence followed.

The lack of noise scared Wayne. His master was unpredictable. Yet Wayne broke the spell. "Is Nurmengard troubling you, sir?"

"No. The castle isn't. I'm just afraid we might be a decade too late to save what is inside." With that, the large figure disapparated, leaving a stunned Wayne behind.

He pulled out his wand, and a few seconds later, the scurrying little wizard was gone as well.

The lake was still glittering below, the wind mauling it's surface. Small waves were licking at the rocky shores; in the distance stood a castle, a single window lit by a candle. The rays of light disappeared for a moment, then returned again. Someone had walked past the window.

**_The End (of part 1)_**

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_Part 2 will also be posted in this fanfiction; I'm just writing this in parts to make it easier for me to structure the story. A little sneak peek/non major spoiler summary of what is happening:_

**Synopsis of Part 2:**

Nico di Angelo - back. But what now? Suspicions arise as wizards, students and teachers alike, question the demigods. But Nico's experiences have changed him; he remembers things he knows he shouldn't and how he returned from death is a mystery to all of them; him included. This isn't helped by his love life. Will Kai and Nico make up? How many lies can a relationship take? And most importantly; what is Kai hiding? The mystery about the Eternals is getting ever deeper as the highest levels of wizard government seem to be involved. Meanwhile, the Argo III is hurrying to collect an army and reach Camp Jupiter in time before the Eternals attack. But when Thalia and the Greeks reach the Romans they realise they will have to fight enemies within and without: Reyna is losing control over the roman camp as intrigues are spun by her political opponents to remove her from power. A Civil war is brewing in Camp Jupiter; and our heroes are caught right in the middle of it.

All the while, Voldemort is still moving in the shadows, and so are the Eternals, for no one has seen them since their hunting of the demigods at Camp Halfblood.

_Yep, this fanfiction is just getting started. As I said, I have been working on better and new outlines as well as streamlining of the story and if I write even half of what I have semi-brainstormed this will have 5 or more parts. Let's see how far I get though. Next chapter next week, hopefully XD. As a thank you for staying with me so long; here's the Nico and Kai snippet I'll add into chapter 12 when reworking this._

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**Nico: - this scene will be part of Chapter 12 in my revision.**

Charms homework was murder.

12 inches of parchment, due tomorrow, and he had only finished 3. The library was crowded with students doing their last minute homework. It was late afternoon; classes were over, and the blue sky was slowly fading into darkness. A cold breeze blew through the castle. The candles and lanterns flickered, creating broken shadows on the wall. But the ghost king was not afraid of shadows, he controlled them after all; nor did the cold trouble him much.

All Nico wanted was to catch some sleep. With Annabeth's late meetings, he was unlikely to get much during the night, and he was exhausted from the entirety of the week. So much had happened: the hogwarts express, the bloody baron, Kai… What Nico really needed was some peace; some time to reflect. Most importantly however, some time to spend with his first ever boyfriend.

_Damn, that still sounds so wrong. _But the essay wouldn't write itself. He pulled all his willpower together, and put his quill back on the parchment. The minutes went by, and over time, the library was abandoned by the other students. Nico checked the clock on the wall. _fuuuuck, already eight?!_ He still had four inches to go. The parchment sat there, ink staring back at him.

Nico drew in a sharp breath. A hand had just fallen on his shoulder. He turned around slowly, and then realized he was only inches away from Kai's face. The wizard grinned and gave him a peck on the cheek. Nico was almost disappointed that it hadn't been on his mouth. Almost.

"Crap, still working on Flitwicks homework?!" Kai exclaimed, quite obviously surprised. Truth was, with the typical demigod ADHD and dyslexia, Nico was much slower than all his classmates when it came to writing. Kai picked up Nico's parchment and paced back and forth.

"You struggling finding more to write about?" he asked the ghost king when he had returned the essay. Nico nodded, hoping not to seem stupid.

_Stop worrying! Bianca chimed in._

_Shut up!_

"Alright, well you haven't mentioned yet that the charm is dependant on the diagonal movement of your wand being at around a 70 degree angle to the previous horizontal line drawn with its tip. You could also add how the espedir spell was originally developed to cure epilepsy instead, but failed catastrophically at that." Kai said, with so much sincerity and good will that Nico couldn't turn him down. Usually he hated help of any kind, but he guessed trust was vital in any relationship. It was okay to show weakness. Sometimes at least.

"Thanks!" he replied with a quick smile and then scribbled on, now at twice the speed. Who would have known a boyfriend to be such a motivating factor?

At last, he dropped his quill. "Done." he sighed.

Kai, who had been staring out of the window stood up and stretched. "Great! Then let's get moving. I really want to show you something." His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. So much so that Nico, who had felt dead just seconds before, realised a tingle of energy was rising within his body. This tingle turned into an all out flame when Kai grabbed him by the hand and pulled him out of the library. Something about their fingers touching felt right.

All had gone so fast that Nico hadn't even had time to collect his stuff. Later he thought. Later. Now the mystery was rather where Kai was taking him. Somewhere more… private? The thought of full on making out with his boyfriend made him blush. The two passed through what felt like dozens of corridors. By the time Kai stopped, they must have half-walked half-run for around fifteen minutes. Kai was breathing heavily. Obviously the ghost king was in better condition.

"Still no panting yet?" Kai asked, surprised. "I wonder what those legs must look like without pants." He winked.

Nico laughed. "The amount of times you peek when I change? I'm pretty sure you've gotten my entire body memorised."

"Exactly. Still can't get enough of it." Kai teased, giving Nico another quick kiss. This one was straight on the mouth though. It was a dry kiss, no tongues or so involved, and over within milliseconds. Still, the son of Hades savoured every bit of it.

"Step back." the wizard warned, and he tapped twice at the wall, mumbling something Nico couldn't make out. The wall turned into a door. He threw a questioning look at his boyfriend. Kai made a "you first", gesture, and Nico pulled at the handle. His jaw dropped at what he saw within.

The room was amazing. Gigantic; at least the size of the fifth graders' bedroom within the tower, and the roof high above Nico's head, turning in spirals towards a small light source. What made it special however wasn't its size, but rather its content.

Large shelves covered the walls. Boxes, spray cans, bottles of paint, brushes and numerous objects the Ghost King had not the slightest chance of identifying were stacked on the shelves, the floor and the tables. Both the surfaces behind the cupboards and the few that had nothing infront of them were filled with graffiti. A stereo stood on one of the tables and two couches filled the space in front of a beamer.

What was coolest however was the back wall; it was open; leading into a grand hall filled with boxes, bowls, roll ins and wedge ramps; in short; the perfect skate park. It was bloody impressive.

_Stop gushing and start a conversation. Bianca advised. _For once Nico followed her orders.

"Soooo, this is where you guys hang out?" Nico asked, still holding Kai's hand.

Kai smiled at him, eyes glowing. "No, that's where we are hanging out. Well, if you like it that is" He added quickly, throwing a worried glance in Nico's direction.

There was nothing to worry about though, for Nico loved the place. "If I like it? You seriously ask me if I like this?" He asked in disbelief.

Kai's eyebrows narrowed with worry. It seemed he had wanted to show this place to the son of Hades for quite some time. He had really hoped that the american would enjoy it. Nico laughed at the misunderstanding. "I love it you dumbass!" he assured him.

Kai's expression did a backflip, a frown turning into a maniacal smile. He pulled Nico into a sudden hug. They kissed; an actual, long, full on kiss, and Nico slowly pushed his hand beneath Kai's T-shirt. His boyfriend's skin was warm and soft. He could feel Kai grinning into his lips.

Nico parted their mouths and stared into the Gryffindors eyes. For once he was happy. Life was good.

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_Hope you liked that. Next week I'll have something for you. I also want to rework these last 20 chapters though, so likely half of next weeks content will be another flashback like this Nico one. Do you like the romance? Is it too cheesy? Or is it at least better than the fight scenes? I hope you stay safe and healthy. _

_Fives Over and out._


	22. Part 2: Chapter 1: Back in School

**_Authors note:_**

_Ha! You thought I wouldn't keep to my weekly updates, did yah! I dont blame you tho. THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME ALL THE WAY THROUGH PART ONE! It means the world to me. This one is a full fledged chapter, and the first chapter of part 2! Exciting, right? I have gotten some editing done on the early chapters as well, and I finally have contacted some people, cuz I'm looking for a Beta-reader. Two did reply and I am currently in conversation with both of them. I will put their names into this fic once we have started our editing process and after i asked them whether or not it is fine if I give their names in here. You'll definetly hear more of them, and from what I've seen so far they're both great people. I am really grateful for their help and look forward to some great discussions on how the plot of the first part can be improved. _

_I decided to do some small structural changes; First of all; I will limit the POV's and only write from those that are most important to the story; I think this is the right move as I have more important characters outside of Hogwarts as well by now and really need a longer Grover POV; so doing so many POVs at one time would be confusing. For now, my main POVs are Percy, Nico, Theo(OC) and Grover. Maybe I'll have another Roman POV at some point. _

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Jackson or Potter. if I did, Percico would be canon ;)_

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**Nico POV:**

Nico's head felt as if it had been split in two by some greatsword. Maybe it had - he couldn't remember. All he knew of the last hectic moments were the shadows around him, and the blades that had entered his body. After that; nothing. He should have been dead. Rotting in Asphodel, Elysium being too good for a son of Hades. Especially a son like him. He shook his head- and immediately regretted it.

The hammering pain had only gotten worse, small stars flashing in front of his eyes. He turned over and puked onto the floor of the common room. Wait, he was at Hogwarts? Somehow this had escaped him until now; as focused as he had been on his aching skull. How had he gotten here? In this condition there was no way he had been able to shadow travel from America to Britain. More importantly, what had happened to his friends? They weren't in the common room, and last he had heard they were hastily trying to reach Camp Halfblood to save the survivors.

What would the wizards say if they found him like that, back after what must have been a week? Yet Nico didn't care. Even the thought of Kai did not hold his attention for long. He knew he had escaped death barely; he shouldn't have been alive. He slowly shifted out and back into consciousness, resting in that twilight space reserved only for the utmost exhausted- or the almost dead.

He must have fallen into permanent slumber though; for when he awakened next he saw the faces of his friends peering over him, happiness contorting their faces.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" The ghost king croaked, his voice no more than a whisper.

"You're alive!" Percy exclaimed.

"The campers are safe. Well, the ones that survived anyways. But Nico, we thought you were… you were.." Annabeth had seemingly lost the power to speak.

"dead" Leo finished the sentence for her, laughing like a maniac. "You shocked us there, Neeks."

Calypso stood next to him, holding hands with the son of Hephaestus.

Nico was confused. He did not remember seeing her with the other campers he had tried to help. "How-"

Annabeth gently cut him off. "You need to rest. The other students will be here soon and even if the teachers let you to Madame Pomfrey it'll take a while before that will happen. They'll want to question all of us." She had pulled out a piece of Ambrosia and put it into his mouth.

Nico, who usually didn't- scratch that, definitely didn't, like to be spoon fed, was glad for once. He didn't think he had the strength left to move his arms. He chewed slowly and swallowed. Like always, Ambrosia tasted like nothing, another thing that seperated Nico from other Demigods. It took a few seconds, but then the godly foods did their deeds; he felt better.

"It's good to see you guys." He pressed out, his voice still not following his every command.

They beamed down at him in return. Over the next few minutes he drifted into and out of a light sleep, sometimes dreaming of Kai; their first kiss, his art on the school walls, their banter. Other times he dreamt of Camp Halfblood. Only once did he dream of the shadows and the cruel laughter of thirsting gods. It was enough to have him snap to his senses though.

Percy was still a statue; watching over Nico, his eyes caressing the younger boy. He ripped himself out of his thoughts a few moments after Nico had opened his eyes, but the son of Hades had noticed it, and was glad that he and Percy had become something like brothers after- well after all that. Annabeth and Leo were off the side; whispering quietly, probably about their excuse to the teachers. Calypso had turned to the fire and was warming her hands; the ghost king guessed she still wasn't used to the colder climate off Ogygia. Percy now sat next to him.  
"I'm so glad you're back."

Nico had to agree. He preferred life over Asphodel. But before he could say that the rumbling of the stairs announced the students that were heading down, coming for breakfast. He closed his eyes, groaning. This would be a terrible morning.

The first students coming into the common room turned quiet the moment they saw them. Everything stood still. Then the explosion came. Everyone was asking questions. The demigods were being bombarded from every side, and could not say a word, for no one heard them. Neither did they understand any of the questions. The mess was added to by more and more of the wizards arriving, attracted by the sudden chaos. It was Hermione who finally got order into the house.

"SHUT UUUUUUP!" She yelled, and combined with the prefect badge she waved within her hand, high above her head, it was enough to make the others stop for a moment.

"I have no idea what is going on here, but you were gone for more than a week! Ron, please go to the Great Hall and get Professor McGonagall. And you four, wait it's five now?" She said with visible confusion once seeing Calypso. Ron had already run off, and apologetic look thrown towards Leo. He wouldn't argue with Hermione when she was in that mind set. Hermione, catching herself, continued. "You, stay here, and don't move. You'll have a lot of explaining to do!"

Nico saw Harry in the background. His face was hidden by the shadows. The ghost king was pretty sure he didn't want to know what was going through the mind of the boy who lived. For his and his friends sake, Nico hoped Annabeth had a plan. They would certainly have to lie through their teeth to get out of this one.

**Percy POV**

McGonagall took them straight to Dumbledore, not saying anything, not even throwing a second look at them. Percy knew she wanted them to be reprimanded in private, and not in front of the other students, and he was grateful for that. The students they passed in the hallway where staring at them openly. Percy did not want to imagine what kind of trouble they were in. Should they be kicked out, they had no way of finding more information on the Eternals. Their leave endangered their cover drastically, and Percy wasn't sure if he wanted the headmaster to know about their actual heritage. Not if he would act like Harry and his friends.

Nico was still looking green and sickly, Leo and Percy were supporting him on either side. The boy was so thin however that his weight did not hinder the son of Poseidon much. Percy was not happy about that though. Nico had already been barely more than a skeleton before their quest; if he had lost more weight since then he might actually turn into one. But better a starving Nico than a dead and eaten one. Percy was ripped out of that thought by the professor.

They had reached two gargoyles, which made way to a circular stairway after McGonagall had mumbled something. Percy could hear voices above. He could make out Dumbledore's, and Snape's. Luckily, Umbridge didn't seem to be there, although Percy was sure it was just a matter of time. Looking at his girlfriend, he realised how tense she was. Her eyes stared into the distance. She was probably creating the best defense for their case, and Percy loved her for that. Without her, they would have been screwed- not just here, but in many other previous situations as well. Most importantly though, it was she, or the thought of her, that was giving him the strength to continue fighting, to continue to try to un-fuck his life. He couldn't imagine living without her. Percy knew it was kind of cheesy. But after two wars, he had stopped caring.

The door of the office was opened from the inside. Snape stood there; his long cape as dirty as always, his grimace one of disbelief. "Come in." He sneered.

They entered, awed by both the size of the place, as well as the many unnameable objects within. Dumbledore was sitting behind a grand desk, his hands folded, his eyes x-raying them over the top of his moon shaped spectacles. He looked calm, yet somehow his gaze made Percy feel disappointed in himself. That was of course rubbish; he had done what he needed to do, but the wizard seemed able to manipulate his students' emotions easily. Percy wasn't sure he liked that.

"Can you explain what happened?" the Headmaster asked slowly, still holding eye contact with the son of Poseidon. "Your teacher couldn't; I haven't been able to contact Mr. Brunner for a week by now."

None of the demigods answered, and Percy finally broke his gaze and looked to the ground.

"You four were gone for a week, without telling anyone, let alone asking for permission. You have scared your friends and your teachers, leaving a lasting impact on many of them. Some, like Kai," with that he threw a disappointed look at Nico, "have taken your leave worse than others. Furthermore you come here with yet another american; expecting her to be taught at this school. In my humble opinion, I deserve to know what has happened, so that we may deal out punishment accordingly."

"Will we be expelled?" Percy asked, still not able to look his Headmaster in the eye. Originally, he had hoped that the headmaster wouldn't scream. By now, he had changed his mind. A yelling Dumbledore would have been less painful, than- _this. _

A few moments passed. "No, I do not think so." Dumbledore answered him with a slight smile. At that, Snape coughed bitterly. Obviously the potions master had wanted the Gryffindors gone. "Yet, unless you want to spend the next few months in detention, telling me the truth, the entire truth Mrs. Chase, would be wise."

Annabeth, who had open her mouth to say something, closed it again. It seemed like the well prepared lies had slipped out of her head.

Instead, it was Calypso who answered. Maybe it was due to her being a titan, or maybe it was just her actual age, but something had made her less prone to Dumbledore's speech. "You couldn't contact Mr. Brunner because he is dead. These four came to save me and a few others, that is why they left the school at such speed." She said, staring straight into the headmaster's eyes, challenging him to object.

Yet Dumbledore nodded slowly, asking: "Is there anything else you want to tell us?"

"Nothing, Professor." Annabeth had finally opened her mouth.

"Fair enough. I think di Angelo could use a visit to the Hospital Wing. You will be informed about the place, date and time of your detention by Professor McGonagall. Gryffindor will lose 200 points because of your actions. You are dismissed; eat something: I expect you all, with the exception of di Angelo, to be in classes today."

Percy couldn't believe it. He had been kicked out for less; here, all they had to do was appear at a detention?

Slowly, the demigods filed out of the room, leaving an angry Snape and a curious looking McGonagall behind.

"He could have given us the day off at least." Leo grumbled, but smiled nonetheless. After getting Nico to the hospital wing, where he fell asleep immediately and was under the careful watch of Mrs. Pomfrey, the other four headed to the Great Hall. They knew that the wizard students would want answers. Too bad for them; for they wouldn't get any.

As they entered the Great Hall, heads turned their way. Many stood up to get a better view of the 'Americans'. Whispers filled the hall. Some Slytherins clapped, while the Gryffindors did not acknowledge them at all; words about the lost points seemed to have travelled fast. The next few hours were a pain to Percy. Katie and the other Quidditch players, with most of whom he could usually joked around, pointedly kept their backs turned, neither greeting nor helping him and Annabeth catch up. It must have been worse for Calypso, who had just arrived and had no clue where to go and what to do. At least Leo was helping her out. But it had hit him the worst; he had been the most popular guy in his class; now, they threw disgusted looks at him.

It wasn't like the demigods didn't have experience with being outsiders, they simply resorted back to their usual coping methods. During lunch, they visited Nico. The son of Hades was sleeping, but awoke the moment they had entered. Percy told him about the other students and how most of them were pissed. Nico's mind seemed to be far off. He only nodded at Percy's report, stating that Colin had told him as much.

Percy guessed Nico was still pondering on Dumbledore's statement about Kai, but Nico had deliberately left the wizard out of their conversation, and the son of Poseidon wouldn't bring it up himself. He knew Nico liked his space. Annabeth had taken some food with them, which Nico devoured instantly. He fell asleep a little later, although he had insisted up to the end that he wasn't tired. Percy chuckled at the dozing figure.

Afternoon lessons were hell. Percy had forgotten most of the stuff he had previously learnt, and was hopelessly lost. Even Annabeth struggled with the content. They kept their heads down, focusing on the work. The other Gryffindors threw crumpled pieces of parchment at the back of their heads from time to time; but Percy could not figure out who did it and let it slip. The fate of the Gryffindor house coup was pulling at his shoulders.

After dinner the four, for Nico was still in the hospital wing, hung out in the common room. They had two couches all to themselves - the other Gryffindors left them as much space as possible.  
Annabeth was still working on an essay for history of magic and moaned at the parchment. Calypso was sitting on Leo's lap, joking about something. The son of Poseidon had nothing to do, so he fiddled with Anaklusmos in its pen form. Night came, and all of them were tired enough to agree that tonight, a meeting seemed impossible. Well, until Annabeth looked up from her parchment and said, her voice sounding scared:

"You know, I haven't seen a single ghost since we arrived."

Percy sat up straight. She was right. It was unusual to say the least; Hogwarts had crawled with Ghosts when they had originally arrived.

"Me neither." Leo and Calypso said in union, then staring at each other shocked.

"hey please beauty, stop speaking my thoughts." Leo complained.

"Hey, who's to say that it was your thought?" a laughing Calypso replied.

"Me." Leo said, chuckling, giving her a light kiss on the cheek.

"DON'T YOU GET IT?" Annabeth ripped them out of their banter.

"What, Ghosts disappearing, another mystery, big deal. So much shit has happened that this isn't really seeming so special after all."

Annabeth facepalmed. "This means that we have no source of information on the Eternals!"

With a sudden shock Percy realised what had troubled his girlfriend so much. She was right. No Ghosts- No information about the Eternals- no chance of them winning the next battle against them. Percy groaned. Why did this always have to get so complicated?

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_I know I know, not some crazy tense ending, but trust me, stuff will happen from now on. This chapter was important to get out of the way. The demigods are now outcasts. The Kai Nico tension will increase, the Eternals are a bigger mystery than ever. And remember, the last time we saw Grover he was captured by some wizards that called themselves Eternals as well; that kinda seems confusing, but all of that will make sense once you've gotten the Grover POV I need to write. That will still take a while tho, there are other plot-points that are coming before that. Hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless. Next chapter, next week Sunday._

_Fives over and out_


	23. Part 2: Chapter 2: Nightmares

**_Author's note:_**

_Yep, this chapter is out of the usual upload schedule, so you're getting two chapters this week. That is due to Waves of Darkness, who has been a huge inspiration with all of their reviews, as well as my two wonderful beta-readers; 2017tnt and Milton's knife, who are helping me massively improving the first part of this story. A huge thank you to all of you! You're what motivates me to continue to try and improve my writing and finish this story, so this chapter is dedicated to you three. Waves of darkness, I have already replied to your reviews over private messaging, so I won't go into much detail here, but I'm super sorry about Solangelo! And of course I wouldn't kill off Nico completely, he's my fav character after all ;) Thank you again!_

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter, although I wish I did._

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Percy POV:

Nico stayed in the hospital wing for another two days. During said time, Percy and the other demigods got on with their coursework. Annabeth and Percy used the breaks to practice and teach Calypso what they knew, but it turned out that the titan's daughter knew more about magic than she had let on. She quickly became the best of the campers, and slowly began to rival the class best, Hermione Granger, as well.

The demigods had found an empty classroom that had turned into their new hangout. Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets wasn't comfortable enough and still filled with tools from building the Argo III, and the common room had turned into the most hostile place imaginable. At least they weren't disturbed here. The other students didn't bother to visit and it seemed as if Dumbledore had told the teachers to stay off their backs, for the reprimanding for mis-cast spells had also dropped to a minimum.

Annabeth had hung up an old and ragged Camp Halfblood flag she had originally used to wrap up weapons within. Once an item so cheap, now one of their last reminders of home, the cloth covered the wall across from the door. Leo and Percy had worked together to scribble puns on the left blackboard, while Calypso had occupied the right one with her drawings. Some of the weapons from the chamber below had been brought up, Annabeth's invisibility cap worked wonders with that sort of stuff. The tables in the middle had been pushed to the side, allowing for light sparring in the middle of the room.

"One. Two. Three!" Percy called at fast tempo, watching as Leo was going through the sequences of a basic longsword technique."No! The fools guard has to be lower. Again." The teen shook his head. The son of Hephaestus was decent with a hammer, yet the Eternals were too nimble and without armour; the better weapon against them was a nimble spear or sword; not the unbalanced and overswinging power of a war-hammer. And thus, he had to drill Leo.

"One. Two. Three!" Percy called out a few more times, before signalling a break. The latino was sweating badly, they had been at it for almost an hour now. Calypso threw her boyfriend a bottle of water. Leo grinned as a thanks and poured half of it in his mouth, the rest over his head.

"Gods, and I thought getting to grip with a hammer was difficult enough." He complained, yet with a twinkle in his eyes. Percy knew he was welcoming the physical activity after a full day of school, sitting at a desk.

"You're getting better. Swords are some of the most difficult weapons to get a grip on, especially these beauties." He said, pointing at the longsword rack in the corner.

Calypso shook her head "Stop stealing Leo's nicknames."

Percy grinned and rubbed the back of his head. He was happy things weren't as awkward as they had been originally when she had come to Camp. They hadn't even been able to greet each other, it had been that bad.

"Fine, I'm ready. What now?" Leo asked, his voice determined, although all his body reeked exhaustion.

Percy smiled, making Leo groan. "Sparring?"

"Yep, sparring."

The session was over quickly; Percy had won every round. The synthetic practice swords were thrown in a corner, their sweaty masks on top. Percy groaned. It was pathetic. At Camp Halfblood, practice was always fully committed; real weapons, real armor, real wounds. Yet at Camp, they had had the materiel to heal the worst of the worst; even what would have killed any mortal. Collapsed lungs, ruptured livers, the whole deal of a long-lasting stabbing.

Here at Hogwarts, even their supply of Ambrosia and Nectar was limited, not to speak of qualified healers. He supposed Madam Pomfrey could have stitched them together, but he rather wouldn't have to explain how they had gotten the stab wounds. Thus, they were stuck with safe practice tools and a thick layer of protective clothing.

The door opened, and Annabeth came in, a book in hand.

"From the library?" Percy asked, pulling her into a hug.

"Yeah, 'an extensive guide on ghosts, ghouls and therelike'. Maybe that will help us sort out were those damned ghosts went."

The son of Poseidon chuckled. "Come on wise girl, I think that's Nico's expertise. You need some rest!"

She ignored that though, typical Annabeth fashion - working herself to death, he thought, almost laughing out loud.

Leo looked up. "Where is Nico by the way? I thought he said they'd let him out of the hospital wing by tonight."

Annabeth shook her head. "I hope he comes soon, but with all these ghosts gone, I don't know what even he can do. I think- I think it's time we talk to Dumbledore about all of this."

Calypso choked on her drink. "Why didn't you tell him previously, then? Wouldn't this compromise the mission?"

The daughter of Athena nodded. "It is risky. But I don't see how else we can get the information we need. We need to know how to defeat the Eternals. Our only lead were the ghosts. Without them- It is time for us leaving our secrets behind us."

Percy put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "If wise girl wants to go through with it, we aren't the ones to criticise. She's the best strategist of the last two millennia."

She blushed at that. "Hey, I don't thi-"

Percy turned to face her straight on, their noses almost touching. He gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're the reason we got there. Without you, we wouldn't have had any of that plan. None of the halfbloods in Camp would have survived. Calypso here, wouldn't have survived," his hands motioning towards the titan. "You're our strategist. With Chiron gone, you're practically our leader."

She laughed. "Stop it! The flattery isn't going to get you an advantage in bed, you know that," the daughter of Athena winked.

"It's not flattery if it's the truth," Percy chuckled and pulled her into a kiss.

"Hem. Hem." Someone coughed. The two jumped apart. Percy could have sworn that Umbridge had made that sound, yet he saw Leo and Calypso bending double in laughter and realised it had only been an imitation from one of the two.

"Hey, if you're lovebirds are done, we should send someone to Dumbledore. It is getting late, and I am not sure how long the headmaster is awake." Leo said, trying to hold a stern look, yet failing miserably, his giggling still filling the room.

"You're right," Annabeth said. "I'll do it, after all, I do have my invisibility cap, so it'll be less likely for Umbridge or any of the teachers catching me."

Nico POV:

Madame Pomfrey had finally released him from her care. The headache was still there, and most of his body was stinging every time he moved an inch, but he had lived through worse. The ghost king guessed he was a good liar. He had told the worried witch that he was in perfect condition, and luckily, she had believed him.

For now, his main goal was to find Kai. His second- to figure out all of this ghost shit Annabeth had told him about. He passed Seamus in the hallway, yet the Gryffindor did not greet. Nico didn't care though. Colin and Vince had visited him in the hospital wing, and those were the only two wizards he kinda cared about. Well, and then there was Kai. He groaned. Something was wrong. Colin had evaded every question Nico had thrown at him. The son of Hades knew he should have told the wizard before leaving, but there had been little time. And what should he have told his boyfriend? _Oh, by the way, I'm a greek demigod and currently all my mates are biting the dust, so see you later! _That wouldn't have worked out well, even someone as antisocial as Nico knew that.

_Don't worry, it'll be fine. _The voice said.

_Shut up, Bianca! _Nico exclaimed silently.

He walked into the Gryffindor common room, and smelled the trouble. Colin was sitting with Vince and Kai next to one of the fires, but his smile faded the moment he saw Nico. It replaced by a look of worry when he glanced back to Kai. The latter had also seen Nico, and stood up, his entire body tense, walking pointedly towards the stairs. The glimpse Nico caught of his face was shocking.

The ghost king was pretty sure Kai was about to cry, but his anger was radiating across the room as well. Nico increased his speed. He didn't want to make a scene in the common room, so he suppressed the instinct to call. On the cold marble of the staircase, he caught up with the wizard. He grabbed Kai by the wrist and pulled him around. _Shit, Bianca! It definitely isn't fine! _He thought when he finally got a full view of his boyfriend's face. His eyes were swollen and wet. His lip was trembling.

"Please. Just- just leave me alone." He whispered as he ripped his arm out of Nico's grasp. The lone figure ran up the stars, the Ghost King starring after him, dumbfounded.

Nico went to bed early; after having caught up with his friends within their new 'headquarters', he headed up the bedroom of the fourth graders. Percy had said something about Annabeth talking to Dumbledore, yet Nico didn't really care.

Kai was the only one in the bedroom. He did not move when Nico entered, and fake snorred, at which the ghost king almost laughed. Almost, for he didn't want to ruin their relationship any further. He understood that Kai was mad, who wouldn't be, but he hadn't expected… _this_. Maybe Kai was too sensitive, but maybe he himself just hadn't realised how important trust was in a relationship. Nico groaned. All of this was so confusing! He knew he should have told Kai, and he still wanted to, regardless if they broke up, at least to prove he trusted him. But how? Everything had gone so fast, and he didn't even know if he was allowed to tell him. What if he compromised their mission? What if he put Kai in danger because he told him? The Eternals seemed to hunt everyone that knew, and Nico couldn't bare to think about them killing Kai. It wrenched at his guts. But although those worries clouded his mind, sleep came fast.

_The sky was cloudless. The grass, once green, had turned yellow. Dust was spread in thick layers on the houses, the trees, everywhere. The sun cooked the men without mercy; within their plate armour they were drenched in sweat. Their stench could be smelt from a mile. They all had swords on their belts, yet within their hands were maces, warhammers and halberds. They were prepared for war. _

_With the dismounted knights came a contingency of archers; longbows slung over their shoulders. It seemed medieval, only that some of their shields had greek symbols upon them, and there were a few men and women without armour, who for their weapons had no more than small, thin sticks. _

_The leader, an old, gray beard hanging through his open visor, moaned. "Let's get this over with, my lady."_

The_ woman, no armor, just a black dress nodded. "We do what we must."_

_The village before them lay there, peacefully. Not a soul was on the streets, the heat had driven the people inside. Fire would drive them out._

_Slowly, darkness came over the scene, smoke only ripping open to reveal a later moment in time. Nico would have puked, were it not a dream. _

_The village had been burnt. Smoldering ruins were all that was left of the houses. Their owners had found a similar fate: corpses were littering the ground. The body of a young boy was split in half, his legs close to the door he had just come out of when an axe had hit him. A few heads were mounted on spikes. Most bodies were too charred to identify. There was no sign of any living being in the town. Only two shadows, standing far off in the distance - the old man, who had lead the attackers, and the lady at his side. _

"_I wish it hadn't come to this," surprisingly, the butcher had tears in his eyes._

_The lady nodded slowly. "War makes monsters out of all of us."_

"_Did the Unspeakable deserve their fate?" The man asked, now actually sobbing._

_The woman remained cold. "It was the only way."_

"_I murdered my own Grandson! His friends, everyone. If this would turn out not to be the only way I would damn all of us; and execute us both." The old man was staring at the lady, his eyes filled with fury, yet his shoulders slacking._

"_My dear William, it won't come to that." The figure said, her voice finally revealing some emotion. "I know of your loss. Do not despair. Your grandson will gain a statue in the hall of sacrifices. His death shall be remembered."_

"_Mylady di Angelo." The old man said in lieu of a goodbye, pulling out a wand and disapparating. _

_The black glad figure of Isabel di Angelo remained on the field; her gown fluttering in the wind. Her voice began a song of sorrow. The only burial rites the bodies would receive. Somehow, Nico knew that sound, but he did not know from where. He almost began to cry as well; why, he did not know. Yet she stopped abruptly, and turned towards the observer; looking straight into the Ghost King's eyes._

_NICO!_

The son of Hades awoke with a scream, alerting all the boys within the bedroom. Soon, lights were on, yet by the time they reached his bed to see what was going on he had already slipped on a shirt and headed down to the common room.

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_Well, it seems his death has caused some nightmares; or did he never die? I'll leave you to figure that out. Thank you again to the three that have motivated me to finish this chapter earlier. You will of course also get a chapter this sunday, during the usual upload schedule. Thank you again to Waves of darkness, your reviews made my day! I hope you enjoyed this chapter a little more lol. _

_Fives, over and out._


	24. Part 2: Chapter 3: a Headmaster's Secret

_**Author's note:**_

_Sorry for the late update, most of this was written sunday but I didn't like it and had to add a good ending and do some edits, so I kinda left it be. However, the guest reviewer pooooost did remind me about my schedule, so thank you! Seriously. The fact that you care enough to tell me to continue writing is super motivating! As always, I want to thank all those who have ever left a comment, favourite or follow on this story. You are the driving force behind this, without you I would have given up ages ago. I am currently also in the editing process with some amazing people, 2017tnt and Milton'sKnife, who are helping me a lot! We have to a very large extend reworked chapter 1 and 2 (like not only language, we added whole scenes and stuff), and this new version is getting so much better than the original... I will keep you updated on that process though and tell you when I have updated those chapters here on the website as well. Sorry for the long author's note, but I hope this chapter will make up for it, a bunch of stuff will be happening, so buckle up XD. _

_**Disclaimer:** I am way to young to be Riordan or Rowling, so although I wish I did, I do not own Percy Jackson or Harry Potter._

_DISCLAIMER 2: semi-self-harm; not bc angst or depression stuff, but cuz Ghosts like blood, and thus blood is used to raise them._

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**Annabeth POV:**

The corridors were deserted. No teacher or student was to be seen. Not even Peeves, who usually haunted the castle, crossed her paths as she made her way through the halls, trying to remember where Professor McGonagall had led them. Annabeth was wearing her invisibility cap, so it wouldn't have mattered either way. She found the gargoyles quickly, yet she lacked the password to enter.

Sitting down and leaning against the icy walls of the castle, Annabeth prepared for a long wait. She hoped the wizard would use the door to enter his office, he might of course have some magic up his sleeve, apparating in (although she was pretty confident one couldn't apparate in Hogwarts). There was also the possibility that he had already entered a while back, and wouldn't use the door again. Nico might have shadow traveled her in, but he had only been released from the hospital wing: Annabeth didn't want to but any extra pressure on her cousin.

Knowing she would likely have to wait for quite some time, her thoughts returned to the last few days. Nico's supposed death was weird. There was no way he should have been alive if anything Malcolm had told them was the truth, and her brother wasn't really a liar. Unless- he had thought to have seen it, when in fact… crazy theories formed within her mind, trying to answer as many questions as possible with a single paradigm. Who were those Eternals? They hadn't been in greek mythology, that was for sure. There had been no mention of them within the library; only the ghosts knew. And those that survived the attack on Camp Halfblood. Why were they so powerful? Annabeth knew they needed answers, and that fast.

Camp Jupiter could be attacked at any moment, and although the Argo III was carrying the survivors, hunters and some allies to the Romans, she wasn't sure they would be able to defeat them without more understanding about those creatures. Nico's sword had been the only weapon that could harm them- why?! Her thoughts ran in circles. She knew the answer was somewhere, somewhere close by.

Then Dumbledore came. His steps where quiet, his cloak whispering while he walked. The long white beard sparkled in the dim light. His eyes, ever vigilant, where half-hidden behind those crescent glasses. Annabeth was tempted to pull off her cap then and there and start talking, yet she knew the corridor was the wrong place. She had to wait until they were both inside.

The Gargoyles seemed to recognise Dumbledore, for they opened without a password upon seeing him. The daughter of Athena tiptoed into the staircase behind him. There, she realised that the Headmaster was humming. Annabeth smiled at that.

They reached the door, and Dumbledore opened it: she jumped, just in time, to land inside before he closed it behind him. The room was as cozy as always, the massive desk taking up little space due to the size of the office itself. Magical tools were spread across smaller desks, and the dead Annabeth was about to remove her cap, when Dumbledore turned around.

"Oh, I see you have been waiting." He smiled, yet not at Annabeth.

A figure had stept out of the shadows in one of the office's corners.

"Take a seat." Dumbledore motioned to the chair in front of his desk, and once the figure had accepted the invitation, sat down himself.

Annabeth used the chance to get a good look at the man. He had brown hair, a little shaggy, and wore a violet robe. Two golden rings gleamed on his fingers. His eyes were green, but not the warm, laughing green Percy's had, rather cold and calculating. She hoped she could talk to the headmaster once the figure had gone, but from the way they had sat down, it seemed like quite a while would pass before that. Of course she couldn't tell Dumbledore about the existence of demigods in front of another wizard, so she sat on the floor, ready to watch. Maybe she would find out something useful at least. Annabeth didn't know how right she was.

Dumbledore had intertwined his fingers, starring across them at his guest.

"Mr. Eternal, I am assuming you have come in regards to said-" at which he raised a white envelope, "subjects."

Annabeth almost gasped. She held her own hand over her mouth, afraid something might escape. _Eternal? _But why was he human? Hadn't they all described the Eternals as monsters? Rotting beasts, hunting with swords and high pitched screams? So what was this human Eternal? An imposter maybe...

"Yes. The riders have been sighted. We think- we think the prophecy is coming true." Mr. Eternal showed little emotion as he talked, but the thought of the prophecy seemed to have shaken him, for he took a deep breath and looked down at his hands.

Dumbledore stared at him for a while, before nodding. "Do you think the riders might be the Unspeakable after all?"

Now, the other man was clearly uncomfortable. "Some of us, Dumbledore, some of us."

"It was a folly! They warned you after all." The headmaster had grown dead serious.

Mr. Eternal laughed. "Dumbledore, you talk as if it had been me who had given the order. I am not my ancestors; I am not guilty."

"No, you aren't." The Professor sighed.

"Returning to the topic at hand; the subjects that have been sighted-" The visitor clearly wasn't keen on small talk, or being questioned.

"Yes, they are completely oblivious." Dumbledore assured him.

"Coming into this school was a grave mistake. They shouldn't have done it." Mr. Eternal said, and for a second time, Annabeth almost gasped. So they knew the demigods where in the school? The five were still in serious danger.

Dumbledore shook his head. "That depends on the perspective, I assume."

His guest ignored his remark. "We have decided to send my son to- to do what must be done. He will arrive in school within the next weeks; exact information is in here." He had pulled out a piece of parchment, pushing it towards the Headmaster.

The Professor took it into his long fingers, skimming over the content. "It is decided then. I assume the Eternals are still backing the Order of the Phoenix in the fight against Voldemort?"

Mr. Eternal laughed. He had already turned around and headed for the door. "Most of us still believe Voldemort to be the eighth, Dumbledore. We'll stand by your side when the time comes. That is what honor dictates."

With that, he was gone, leaving the door wide open behind him. Dumbledore smiled, yet Annabeth didn't see it, for she had taken the chance to flee from the office as well.

**Nico POV:**

Before Breakfast, Leo and Percy had physically dragged him to the empty classroom that was now their outpost. Calypso and Annabeth were already waiting, although the daughter of Athena looked like she had gotten even less sleep than he had. Every time the Ghost King had fallen into a slumber in the common room, he had returned to his dreams; about humans that called themselves Eternals.

_Nico, you need to tell them about those dreams! _Bianca, or his conscience, or whatever, literally screamed at him. Luckily, only he could hear her. He did not want to tell them, he did not want to talk about it. Even if he knew Bianca was right. Worse than his talking conscience however was Kai. Nico still felt guilty, angry, betrayed- he felt too many emotions to count. Urgh, why was love so confusing?!

But by then, Annabeth had started talking and Nico knew he had to focus. She explained her visit to Dumbledore; clearly it had not gone as planned. She had overheard his talk to a visitor, a visitor called- "Eternal."  
Calypso gasped, from where she sat, namely Leo's lap. Percy's mouth stood open. Even Nico was shocked.  
"So, you're saying Dumbledore is an ally of _them_?!" He asked with disbelief.

"Yes, and worse, I think they know we're here." Percy jumped up from the desk on which he had sat. "Then we have to go. NOW!" He was already packing up the weapons in the room.

"Percy, no." Annabeth said, having walked over and lain her hand on his shoulder. "From what I heard, we have at least a week until Mr. Eternal sends his son, to deal with us, as he called it. Until then, we have to stay."

Leo nodded. "If we can learn about their weaknesses, we can destroy them. In order to learn about them, we need to be close to them. I say we stay, and ambush this son, maybe even Dumbledore. Learn from them; that's the only way we can defeat the Eternals at Camp Jupiter."

Damn, Nico thought. A confident Leo was hot. Not as hot as Kai though… "I don't know when Leo turned into a strategist, but he's right. We have to stay."

Percy looked around at all of them, and then raised his hands. "Look, I'm trying to protect you. If you want to stay here until the trap springs, I can't stop you. But remember the last time we demigods thought we had a chance at fighting the Eternals. Our Camp was wiped out, Nico died."

Annabeth hugged him, and for once, that little piece of envy within Nico's stomach did not tug at his heart.

"This time, we'll be prepared." The daughter of Athena said. "That means training, that means research. Nico, I know you've been literally dead, so it's not fair to ask this of you already, but try and summon the ghosts of Hogwarts, see if you find them in the underworld. We need information, and the ghosts seemed the only ones willing to provide it."

Nico nodded.

_You need to tell them! _His sister chimed in again.

_Not now Bianca! Everyone has bad dreams once in a while. And I'm still missing puzzle pieces, I don't understand it myself!_

_Duh. _Bianca didn't seem convinced.

Breakfast was hell. Kai couldn't look at Nico, and both ignored each other, which only caused more concerned looks from the Creevey brothers, his demigod friends and Vince. Nico wanted to sleep on his plate. His eyelids were heavy, and the only coherent thoughts other than Kai were those of his bed. The first lesson, Defense against the Dark Arts, was another session of note taking, and bored Nico out of his mind. What would he have given to trade the class for another hour of sleep! During Potion, he and Kai shared a desk and a project, which was indescribably awkward. They passed their tools and ingredients without a word, and whenever one touched the other by accident- it was a small table and an even smaller cauldron after all- they jumped apart as if bit by a snake.

During lunch, Nico took his food from the Great Hall to their abandoned-classroom-now-turned-headquarters thingy. He had enough of his wizard comrades for the day. Leo and Percy were sparring, and although Percy clearly had the upper edge, it surprised the Ghost King how fast Leo was learning the techniques. Annabeth was buried in a book, Calypso in one of her drawings on the blackboard. With nothing else to do, he ate his food while watching the longsword training session. When the bell rang, signalling the end of break, he caught Annabeth by the arm.

"I'll do it this afternoon. The ghost stuff I mean. I'll try calling them back."

She nodded. "You want any backup?"

Nico shook his head. Ghosts were his speciality after all.

After the last few classes of the day, he headed into one of the stinkiest bathrooms, using the student forsaken room to shadow travel straight into the forbidden forest. He had heard the stories about the place, yet it didn't scare him. Whatever was in here, centaurs, those weird dementors Colin had mentioned, Nico knew he would be able to deal with them. He dropped his bag on the ground and got to work. The trees around him were whispering in the wind. The sun was slowly falling behind the horizon, its last rays illuminating the Ghost King.

A hole, maybe four feet long and two feet deep, stretched before Nico. It was completely dark by now. The son of Hades took a deep breath. _Just the average ghost raising, nothing to worry about_, he told himself, as he threw the chicken he had spared from lunch into the black abyss of the pit. He pulled off his ring, twisting it between his fingers. It turned into a sword.

"αυτό προσφέροντας, οινοπνευματώδη ποτά." Nico mumbled, slowly drawing the blade across his forearm. The pain stung as usual, yet the Ghost King didn't flinch. He had endured worse. He saw red running down his arm. The blood dripped onto the chicken and the earth around it. Nico nodded. His cut had been perfect. It was enough blood to draw out the spirits, yet not enough to be the result of a main blood vessel being hit. He was safe. With a grim satisfaction, he wrapped the arm tightly into a spare black shirt, and continued his prayers. He could feel the dark energy rising around him. His arms got goose bumps. He knew they were here. The blood ritual had worked.

"Speak." Nico commanded.

He did not get a reply.

"I am the lord of shadows; do not hide within my birth right. Speak!" The Ghost King's voice had turned into a growl. He knew that green light had started to surround him, filling his eyes with a bestial glow, yet he did not care for his aura.

Again, there was nothing, except the whistling wind, and a lone wolf howling in the distance. The trees around him showed no movement.

"SPEAK!" Nico screamed, his anger finally taking over.

The wind was still ripping at his shirt, and the moon shone brighter than ever. Yet, for a moment, he was sure that he had heard something.

A cackling laughter.

It chilled the Ghost King to the bone. Yet before he could locate it, it was gone. Nico di Angelo was alone, the only other sentient being the wolf.

The creature had forgotten its howling to watch curiously. Dark stripes covered its fur. For a few seconds, Nico and the child of Rome held eye contact. Then, the beast blinked, the round sparkling disks going dark for a moment. The wolf turned around and disappeared between the trees, its tail rustling the leaves. Nico looked up at the stars. They were bright tonight.

It was the first time Nico had failed to raise a ghost.

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_Well, hope you enjoyed this one. Btw, promise, Dumbledore ain't OOC, its just a complicated story XD His motivations will be revealed later. Shout out to the guest reviewer again, this one is dedicated to you! _

_Hope ya'll stay safe._

_Fives, over and out_


	25. Part 2: Chapter 4: Till Death do us Part

**_Author's note: _**

_Yes, I know, another Nico POV. I'm sorry. But this is kinda important. There'll be a long author's note at the bottom here, for all those wanting to punch me. I'm sorry this is so late, and you totally should punch me._

_**Disclaimer:** If I was Rick or Rowling, their stories would have more sex and more death. Therefore I am neither of them. _

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Nico:

Two days had passed since the failed attempt at raising ghosts. They were still the loners at school, but Nico didn't really mind. Actually, he had almost stopped noticing it. There was too much spinning around in his head. The Eternals- he still hadn't told the others. And he wasn't planning too. But he had made a decision. Nico needed to know about his family. Everything there was. Especially however the fuck they were involved with the Eternals. And considering how little information Hades had been willing to give back in the day when he had dragged Percy to him, the god wasn't going to help. He had to go _there_.

But first, he needed to talk to Kai. Nico didn't know how all of this had gotten so fucked up, but the wizard deserved to know. Or at least to have the choice. Maybe the relationship was at an end, but the son of Hades needed a blank slate for his next mission. He would feel forever guilty if he did not do this now, because he knew, he'd never get a chance to do this again.

Kai was in the common room that night, but went to bed early, as Nico had expected. Since shit had gone down, the wizard had used sleep as an excuse to stay away from the italian.

Nico said Percy goodnight, who was trying to finish an essay for Flitwick, and fist bumped Annabeth. Leo and Calypso were making out on the other couch and Nico ignored them. If he got any closer he might catch _the_ _straights_, yuck.

He walked up the staircase, opening the door to the bedroom. Kai was fake snoring as always.

"Wake up!" Nico hissed.

The fake snoring continued.

The Ghost King moaned. Jeeeez that guy could be annoying. He walked to the others bed, and ripped off the blanket. The shirtless Kai stared at him angrily. If Nico hadn't been so pissed, he would have been turned on.

"Fuck off!" Kai made a grab for his blanket, but Nico threw it across the room.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way. But we will talk. And it won't be here." Nico had crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Kai stared at him for a moment. "Sure." he said, sullen.

"Then take my hand." Nico stretched out his arm. Shadow travelling was going to be the easiest way to get somewhere without the others seeing them.

"What the fuck?" The wizard seemed pissed.

Nico rolled his eyes. "There's nothing fucking romantic about it. You'll see." For a moment, he was sure Kai was just going to turn onto his side and let Nico stand there, but he didn't. Their fingers intertwined.

"What now?" Kai asked through gritted teeth.  
"Hold tight." Nico smirked. The shadows enveloped them.

They came out within the new demigod headquarter-classroom. It was dark, but Nico quickly ignited some torches by snapping his fingers. No one was in there- not surprising. The ragged Camp Halfblood flag flopped lazily in the slight breeze the open window caused. The weapon racks were neater than before- doubtlessly Annabeth had ordered them before going up to the common room.

Kai could only stare. His shoulders were still tense, but his eyes gleamed with a hint of curiosity. Still panting from shadow travel, he asked "What the fuck?!" Only this time it was a lot less aggressive and a lot more confused. Nico almost smiled. "Wait wait wait did you just apparate?! Within Hogwarts?! How the fuck is that even possible?" He threw up his hands in resignation. "Great, and now you're making me forget that I'm supposed to be mad at you."

Nico pulled over two chairs, facing each other. His heart was pounding. "Sit." He offered, pulling two beers from a shelf and handing one over.

Kai had tensed up again, his lips a thin strip of anger.

Nico sighed. "Look, I know all of this is my fault. But what you have to understand is that I didn't choose any of it."

Kai's eyebrows furrowed. "Seriously?! That's all you can come up with?! Of course you had a choice. You could have told me before you left. You worried me sick! And then you appear out of nowhere, half dead, without so much as an apology?!"

Nico ground his teeth. Why couldn't Kai understand?! Did he think the italian had fun doing all of this?! "LISTEN!" He took Kai's hands in between his. He hadn't felt the sadness, but suddenly he was aware of the wetness of his cheeks. "Please. just, listen." the ghost King mumbled.

Kai went quiet. "Look, if you want me to, I will tell you everything. And I mean, everything! Stuff none of the other Americans know yet. But you have to decide. Because Kai, whoever knows of this will be hunted. And sooner or later, probably killed."

There was a long silence.

"I didn't tell you any of this because I wanted to protect you, from everything out there. But now I realise that whatever happens, if I cannot trust you then I can't trust anyone. So you need to make the decision. Do you want to know the full truth, and live with that danger, or will you trust me when I say that I have good reasons for everything I have, and will be, doing?"

For the first time since having returned from the dead, Nico looked into Kai's eyes. Man, how he had loved those eyes. Now, with the mission before him, he wondered if he would see them ever again. And if they would meet again, if these eyes would ever look at him like they had once done.

Kai swallowed. "You're leaving again, aren't you?" He whispered.

Nico nodded. "I have no other choice."

"Will you ever come back?" He asked.

"I don't know. It's unlikely, but if I survive I will find you. Maybe in i a month, maybe in a year. Hell, maybe in ten. But if I can, I will come. I owe that to you."  
Kai's eyes had filled with tears. "You talk as if you were already dead."

"To be honest, I kind of am."

Kai leaned back, brushing some hair out of his face. "Couldn't I come with you? Protect you?"

For a moment Nico was tempted. The road he knew he needed to take would take him far away from all his friends. Kai would cheer him up. Laugh with him. Love him. Hell, I don't want to die a virgin, Nico thought. But as tempting all of that sounded, he couldn't risk it.

"I didn't tell you any of this because I want you to be safe. You seriously think that after that would want you to follow me into the lion's den?"

Kai shook his head and smiled weakly. "You're right. I would probably only be a hinderance anyways. But, Nico, that much you owe me. If you are likely to die like you say you are, I want to know. About you. Where you come from, what the hell you've been up to. Everything. And I want to know that from you, not from your friends or anyone else. If I can't accompany you, at least let me carry the burden of the truths you've been hiding. At least let me remember. If you're gone, I want your memory to live on. Maybe I can write it down somewhere once all of this is over."

Nico could see the tears in Kai's eyes. The guy did love him. But yet, somehow Nico knew that there was more to Kai's story as well. He wasn't only broken because of this. Something else was going on. But for now, he had no time to consider that.

"Well, it's hard to explain, but I guess this is where I should start. The Greek Gods exist, and they have children with mortal humans. Perc, Annabeth, Leo, everyone at the "school" of mine is such a child. We're demigods. And our troubles started when we learnt that the magical world exists."

Nico talked and talked, and slowly Kai's eyes grew wider and wider. He looked less sad now, but fascinated. When Nico came to the Eternal attack on Camp Halfblood he gasped in horror at the death and destruction, and was dumbfounded by Nico's death and resurrection. But the ghost king didn't end his story there. He continued talking about things he had told no one; his new nightmares, his fears, the di Angelos and the Eternals. When he had finished, a long silence followed. Nico's throat was raw from so much talking; he wasn't used to anything other than quick sarcastic remarks.

Nico had left out everything about Dumbledore; he knew how high Kai valued the headmaster. Nico felt guilty about that, but it couldn't be helped. He would not jeopardize his friends mission to such an extent.

Kai just sat there, unmoving, trying to take it all in. Then, he finally opened his mouth. "You think, based on your dreams, that the Eternals once had a civil war, that the good guys won, and that your family was part of the good half of the eternal organisation? And now you think that these Eternals you have fought at Camp Halfblood are resurrected bad Eternals? Daaamn and I always thought Annabeth was the smart one in your group."

"Its a hunch. No more. Maybe its the other way around. Maybe the good eternals were the ones exterminated. But its the only thing that makes sense to me at the moment. It explains the ghost's statements. It explains my dreams. It even explains why Hades never wanted to talk about my mother."

"But what exactly are you planning to do? Where will you go? And most importantly, why? Why do you need to leave us again?"

Nico heard the pain in the last sentence. Kai wasn't asking why he left them all. He was asking why he would leave _him._

"The only way we can defeat these monsters is by learning about them. And the best way to learn about them is to find those that know them." Silently, Nico added that he needed to know. He needed to know what his family truly was. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he found out he was related to even more monsters.

"I need to save my friends. The ones here, the ones at Camp Jupiter. And now that you know of this, I need to save you too.

I will find where my other relatives, these good Eternals, might be. I will talk to them. And hopefully I can secure their strength in helping us defeat the bastards that destroyed Camp Halfblood, that destroyed my home. Of course the monsters will try to stop me, every step of the way. They are unbelievably strong. I'm a good fighter if I say so myself, but they're on a whole fucking other level. I might fail again. Die again."

Kai nodded silently. He was pretty damn sad about it, Nico could see, but he understood that Nico had to do it.

"I know I'm putting you through a lot, and I do have a mission for you as well. Tomorrow, first thing in the morning could you tell my friends about my dreams? About my mission, about everything? They need to know."

The other must have found it weird, that Nico wouldn't do it himself. But he didn't question it. The Ghost King knew that Kai would trust him, after all this.

Nico moaned. "I'm sorry about all of this. I wish we could have just been a normal teenage couple, but the way things stand….

Kai shook his head. "Look, much of this is my fault as well. There's some shit going down with my family back home. If I seemed a little teary and unstable lately, that's why. We should have talked way sooner, I shouldn't have shunned you like I did. I'm sorry for that, that's on me."

Nico blushed. Why did the bastard always have to be so damn morally righteous? It was too bloody cute. "Well, we better get back to bed." he said, trying to overplay his emotions.

Kai chuckled. "This is your last night in Hogwarts with your boyfriend before going on a deadly quest and that's what you wanna do? Get to bed?"

Nico was confused. "Yeaaa?"

Kai broke out laughing. "Didn't you say you wished we were a normal teenage couple? Then let's be one! Put on some music, bring out another few beers and lets stay up late, just like the normal bastards."

Nico smiled. His heart jumped a beat, just like it had before his resurrection, every time he had seen Kai.

The wizard pulled out his wand and created a small disco ball and new lights, turning off the torch. With another wand wave he had turned on some party music.

"C'mon, you know I'm a Metalhead!" Nico said laughing.

"I know, I know." Kai pulled him into a kiss. "But that stuff is too sad for your last few hours here."

The song raged, the second beer was making Nico a little dizzy. They were dancing a slow walzer, which didn't fit to the song. Nico had no fucking clue what he was doing, but Kai was leading, and he seemed to be experienced. Nico had never been a dancer, yet somehow it just felt right, the wizards fingers intertwined with his. The rainbow light illuminated Kai's smile. They joked and teased each other over the music.

"You know, I really thought you might be dead. I didn't eat anything for four full days when you were gone. I was a fucking mess" Kai said, still smiling.

"Drama queen!" Nico jested in a high pitched voice.

"ahhh maybe so, but I'm your drama queen after all"

_If you got jack in your cup go raise it up_

_If you aint got enough go fill it up_

_and if you aint got shit, throw your hands up!_

The disco ball was spinning quite fast, the lights moving like crazy. Nico and Kai were kissing. Somehow, the ghost kings tongue had gotten into the others mouth. He relished the feeling.

_We only leave a pre-party to go party some more_

_I'm already shit-faced before I walk in the door_

Kai slowly slipped his hand down the back of Nico's pants, his eyes asking for permission. Nico only kissed him harder. It felt like heaven.

_this girl's rubbing on my leg I never met her before_

_and now she's making her way down to my gentleman's sword_

Kai squeezed Nico's ass, and together with his tongue in the other guys mouth it was too much for the Ghost King. He moaned a little, the bulge in his pants quickly growing and pressing against the wizards legs. Kai broke off the kiss and raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You wanna go so far? Daaamn."

"Shut up you bastard. We ain't having sex. I'm only fucking you once I know you've stayed faithful for the ages I'll be gone." Nico replied, laughing as well by now. "You still better take that shirt off, I'm not done kissing you."

Kai complied, although it was hard to remove it while bent double from laughter. Somehow, the closeness of their possible deaths made everything more hilarious. The wizard pulled his wand and waved it, turning down the music. He then pulled Nico down onto the couch with him. Their lips met once again, the ghost King's fingers tracing Kai's muscled body, moving from abs to chest and back down. He stopped only to remove his own shirt.

They fell asleep at 2 in the morning, shirtless and on top of each other. When Nico woke, his face muscles ached from all of yesterday's smiling. Kai beneath him was still smirking within his dreams. The Ghost King knew he couldn't wake him. If he did there would be tears and a long goodbye; they didn't have the time for that, and he didn't have the emotional strength to survive that again either.

Nico could only pray they would see each other again, and that soon. But the gods were cruel; maybe this would be a goodbye forever.

His eyes stung as he gave his boyfriend a quick kiss on the forehead. "We will see each other again, in this world or the next." He whispered, and with that shadow traveled out of Hogwarts.

* * *

_Okay. So thats it for the moment. Hope you enjoyed. So WTF has taken me so long? Well, I had tendon problems (still do), actually dictated all of my school exams instead of writing them etc. and now during the summer family was priority. Also, I've been kinda battling with my bisexuality and worked on some other hobbies that put less strain on my f'd up hands. No excuse, I know. I'm sorry, I'm a mess lol._

**_THIS PART IS ACTUALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE STORY: _**

_Do not expect another chapter soon. I've been using the distance I gained from this story over the last couple months to truly evaluate it. I see so many bloody problems. You remember when I said I wanted to do major edits? Well now they actually are turning major. I think most of my characters are way to bland and I'm working on giving them each personal motivation etc etc etc._

_So, I'm planning to rewrite the first few chapters and then slowly upload the truly finished version on archives of our own. Once I've caught up with the plot there I will exchange these old chapters with the new versions of them on here as well. Then I will focus again 100% on adding new chapters. I will probably add a chapter here and there over the next few weeks or months, but don't expect anything regular. The story on AO3 will have the same name. I'm hoping I can bring out the first chapter (completely re-written, altho the basic plot won't change) there in latest a week._

_Lets hope I can stick to this plan. You know how bad I am at sticking to plans. Like Eren Yaeger bad LMAO._

_Well, If any of you actually read this, I am bloody happy and grateful. Leave a review if you want to punch me. I will gladly punch myself in your name. Hope you enjoyed._

_Fives over and out._


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